Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Democrats to Seek Health Bill Again

With encouragement from President Clinton, congressional Democratic leaders are initiating eleventh-hour discussions with their GOP counterparts to see if a modest first step toward health care reform can be salvaged before Congress goes home next month, House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) said. “We are going to explore that in both the House and in the Senate, Foley said. He did not detail the reforms he has in mind but references to “incremental” measures made by Foley generally have meant a series of limited insurance reforms that make it easier to buy coverage, especially for those who have some existing medical condition. But one influential GOP senator, Phil Gramm of Texas, said, “I think it’s a bad idea to try to bring this debate back to life.”