Several healthcare votes planned for Friday afternoon

The House debated a handful of healthcare-related amendments Friday morning, prepping them for a vote that is expected in the early afternoon.

An amendment from Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) was taken up that would prevent funds in the FY 2011 spending bill to pay employees, contractors and others under last year's healthcare law.

The House also debated two amendments from Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa)— one that would end funding for the healthcare law in the bill, and another that would also prevent salaries from being paid related to the implementation of the law.

A fourth amendment from Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) would prevent funds from being spent on IRS efforts to verify people have healthcare coverage, mandated under the law. Another amendment from Thursday night to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood is also expected to get a vote.

The debates on healthcare were tense at times, and in many ways revisited last year's healthcare debate. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said House Republicans are driving the House into "irrelevance," an apparent recognition that the entire House bill is unlikely to go anywhere in the Senate.

Pelosi also charged Republicans with "standing up for the insurance companies" by trying to end funding for the law.

Several Republicans said the bill needs to be defunded, and one, Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) said the bill might be the worst law ever passed by Congress. That drew a sharp rebuke from Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas.).

"What about the slave laws?" she asked. "What about the fugitive slave laws? How dare anyone suggest this is the worst bill when we give opportunity to all Americans."