Washington DC, Oct 27 (THAINDIAN NEWS) House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday welcomed the top Senate Democrat’s inclusion of government-sponsored insurance in the controversial Senate health care bill. He said that the inclusion of government-sponsored insurance boosts chances that it will be in the final legislation sent to President Barack Obama.

Hoyer told reporters that, “Reid’s move doesn’t really change the calculus in the House, where Democratic leaders already planned to write a public insurance option into their bill. They hope to finalize their legislation in time to release it this week”.

“On the other hand there are a whole lot of people in the House, the great majority of the Democrats in the House, who want to see a health reform bill pass in the fashion that we believe is justified … and I think an overwhelming majority of Democrats are in favor of the public option,” Hoyer said.

“I think it’s the fairest way to go,” Reid told reporters Monday. “We have 60 people in the caucus,” he said. “We all hug together and see where we come out.”

“We hope that Olympia will come back. She’s worked hard. She’s a very good legislator. I’m disappointed that the one issue, the public option, has been something that’s frightened her,” Reid said.

Nelson “is not committing how we will vote regarding any proposal Sen. Reid is advancing,” said spokesman Jake Thompson.