'Very, very close to zero' GOPers will vote for House health bill

Republicans will overwhelmingly reject the Democrats' healthcare reform measure when it is reaches the House floor, according to a key lawmaker.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), who serves as deputy GOP whip, told The Hill that the number of Republicans supporting the sweeping legislation will be “very, very close to zero.”

“I don’t know of a Republican out there advocating it," the lawmaker said.

Every House Republican rejected the Democrats' stimulus bill earlier this year while eight GOP lawmakers backed the climate change measure that passed 219-212.

Three centrist GOP lawmakers have told The Hill that they will likely vote against the Democrats' 1,990-page healthcare measure.

Republican Reps. Mark Kirk (Ill.), Mike Castle (Del.) and Joseph Cao (La.) all say that without significant changes, they will oppose the bill.

Kirk and Castle, who are both running for the Senate, were two of eight House Republicans who supported climate change legislation. Cao, who voted against the climate bill, is being targeted by Democrats in the 2010 cycle.

Cao has said he would oppose a bill that does not have strong prohibitions against abortions. He says that the current bill does not meet his standard.

House Democrats may amend the abortion-related provisions before the floor vote in an effort to attract more Democrats to support the bill.

Castle said that he doesn’t trust the cost estimates of the Democrats' bill.

He added, "I’m not sure that the public option is truly workable at this point.”

Kirk said the Democrats' bill would allow the government to interfere in the doctor-patient relationship.