Lawmakers warm to the public option

House Democrats are coalescing around an $871 billion healthcare package that would create a government-run insurance plan to help millions of Americans afford coverage, raise taxes on the nation's richest families, and impose an array of new regulations on private insurers, in part by stripping the industry of its long-standing exemption from federal antitrust laws. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her top lieutenants said Thursday that they are close to corralling the 218 votes they need to move forward with comprehensive legislation that would include a version of the public option prized by liberals as a fundamental pillar of reform.