GOP maneuvering to push own patients' bill

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There will be no vote on a patients' bill of rights until Republicans are more confident they can pass a White House-backed version, House Majority Leader Dick Armey says.

The delay comes as the White House is engaged in a last-ditch effort to broker a compromise between supporters of the bill preferred by President Bush and those on the other side. The bill had been scheduled for debate Thursday.

Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Bolten met for nearly four hours Tuesday night with Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Georgia, a key sponsor of the competing "Ganske-Dingell-Norwood" patients' bill of rights.

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The White House supports a version sponsored by Rep. Ernie Fletcher, R-Kentucky, a family practice physician. Norwood's background is medical, too; he is a dentist.

"We will wait until we can have a clear understanding that we will pass a law that will help families," said Armey, of Texas.

"Whether that comes from work between Norwood and the White House, or whether it comes from our work here in the House in getting the votes for this bill that we think is the right answer, or wherever it comes from, we will do the right thing."

Armey said he was "not sure" when the vote would occur or if the vote would happen before Congress breaks for an August recess at the end of next week.

Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, told reporters Wednesday morning the House would get a patients' bill of rights "done when we get it done."

'No better salesman ...'

Senior White House officials familiar with Bush's strategy said talks with Norwood are part of a two-track strategy.

If the White House can reach a deal with Norwood, it can win support from the remaining 12 to 15 Republicans who have yet to side with the president plus the votes of dozens of Democrats.

If it cannot win Norwood's support, the White House will instruct House leaders to bring up the Norwood bill and add amendments to scale back the right-to-sue provisions and add medical savings accounts.

"These talks are not for show," a senior White House official said of the Norwood negotiations. "We hope to work out a compromise, and the president is committed to keeping the lines of communication open with Norwood throughout."

"There's no better salesman then the president," said Hastert spokesman John Feehery.

Bush told reporters Wednesday morning he was sticking by his guns. "I have laid out principles that would allow me to sign a bill, and I still stand by those principles," he said. "But I can report we're making pretty good progress."

'They're struggling'

The essence of the White House strategy is to let Republicans who have supported Norwood's bill in the past to do so again by making it the base bill for any House debate.

The stumbling block is the fact the White House and GOP House leaders do not have the votes to pass an amendment providing fewer rights to sue. That has caused the delay in bringing the measure to the floor.

Democrats seized on the delay, saying they would like the bill to come up as soon as possible and suggesting Republicans were scrambling to find the votes to defeat the Democratic-backed Ganske-Dingell-Norwood bill.

Democratic leaders have expressed confidence their caucus will support Ganske-Dingell-Norwood, previous versions of which have passed the House in recent sessions with significant Republican support.

This year's version closely resembles the patients' rights bill the Senate passed 59-36 at the end of June.

Rep. Ernest Fletcher; his bill may not have the votes to pass.

"I think they're struggling," said Democratic Whip Rep. David Bonior of Michigan. "They're trying to get votes for Mr. Fletcher's inadequate substitute. And people are going down to the White House, and they're coming back with limps to the Hill and arms that are crooked and twisted.

"But they're hanging in there because they know with those bad hips and arms, they will need a patients' bill of rights to be better," Bonior said.

Armey said his side was "still working with members. This is so important that we'll take whatever time we need to get it right."

"These are complicated issues," said Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Connecticut. "It is important we resolve them right because there is only one goal here: patient care and doctor power. That's what has made America's health-care system great. And that's where we have to end up. And if it takes a day or two longer, if it takes a week or two longer, if it takes a month longer, that is not the issue."

Wheeling and dealing

White House and senior congressional sources said the Norwood-Bolten meetings made substantial progress toward a deal, but no final agreements had been reached. Key Republicans said the White House must keep Norwood at the center of its efforts if it hopes to pass a bill the president can support.

"Charlie has put his heart and soul into this, so Charlie has got to be put back in the catbird seat," said on senior Republican. "It's important for all of us who have stood with Charlie because he's the reason we've made progress on this issue -- no one else."

Even as the White House talks to Norwood, some Republicans have said they would back the Fletcher alternative if House leaders and the White House could offer something in return.

Sources told CNN requests include promises of coveted committee slots, visits to home districts by Cabinet secretaries, vice presidential fund-raisers and regulatory relief from the White House.

"Sometimes you just hear the requests, and you have to take a deep breath," said one GOP source.

-- CNN's Kate Snow, Major Garrett and Ian Christopher McCaleb contributed to this story.