The White House has landed another big Republican voice in support of a health care overhaul: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. With health care legislation headed for debate on the floors of both chambers of Congress, the Obama administration has increased efforts to win support from Republicans away from Capitol Hill, where Republican lawmakers are overwhelmingly opposed to the legislation. In a statement issued Tuesday at the White House's request, Schwarzenegger did not endorse any specific version of the legislation. But he said he appreciated President Barack Obama's 'partnership with the states.' And the governor noted his own efforts at improving the health care system in California and urged bipartisan cooperation at the national level. On Monday, Tommy G. Thompson, the former health and human services secretary in the Bush administration, onetime Republican presidential candidate and former governor of Wisconsin, issued a statement expressing similar support for health care legislation. So did a former Republican -- and now an independent -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City. Republicans in Washington, rebutting any suggestion that Schwarzenegger was endorsing the Democrats' health care plan, on Tuesday distributed comments that the governor has made this year expressing concern about a proposed expansion of Medicaid, which could saddle states with increased costs. But even before the White House called Sacramento asking for the governor's support, aides to Schwarzenegger said he was fully convinced that the nation's health care system needed an overhaul. It should probably come as no surprise that Schwarzenegger would be supportive of the health care efforts in Washington, where a main goal is to extend coverage to many of tens of millions of uninsured Americans. In January 2007, Schwarzenegger proposed his own plan for California, modeled largely after the one in Massachusetts, with the goal of extending coverage to all of his state's 36 million residents. But a year later, the California plan was rejected by a state Senate committee worried about the state's soaring budget deficit. -- DAVID M. HERSZENHORN HEALTH PANEL TO HEAR EXPERTS The Senate Finance Committee still intends to vote this week on its health care bill, possibly as soon as Thursday. But the panel's 10 Republicans want to have some budget and tax experts weigh in first. In a letter on Tuesday to the committee's chairman, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the Republicans demanded that officials from the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation be brought before the panel to answer any questions ahead of any changes or a final vote on the health care bill. 'Before the Committee votes to report the legislation out of committee,' the letter said, 'it is important that all members have a thorough understanding of the cost of the legislation and how individuals, families and businesses will be affected.' No worries, said Scott Mulhauser, a spokesman for Baucus. Even before the letter was sent, he said, officials from the budget office and the tax committee had been asked to sit in. 'Chairman Baucus has been committed to -- and praised for -- transparency throughout the markup process,' Mulhauser said. 'He understands senators are likely to have questions regarding the amended scores, and he believes they deserve to get answers.' -- DAVID M. HERSZENHORN THE CONVERSATION: THAT PERPLEXING QUESTION As Capitol Hill froths with controversy over the cost of a health care overhaul, many readers posting comments on Health Care Conversations, The New York Times' new online forum, have been discussing a sensitive subset of that topic: What should be done to improve, and to pay for, care at the end of life. 'At what point should we stop trying to prevent the inevitable? Is keeping someone alive for three more days worth the pain and suffering?' wrote Jeff, a poster from Wyoming. 'This is a complex issue to be sure, and unfortunately one that is going to get overlooked due to partisan bickering and name-calling.' One-quarter of Medicare's budget is spent on care in the last year of life -- and not always wisely, readers noted. 'Specialists continue to do things like annual cardiac ((catheterizations)) on 90-year-olds,' wrote Alison, a poster in Rome. Rethinking the endless interventions offered at the end of life could prevent suffering and save money, readers said. But it also runs counter to ingrained societal values, some pointed out. 'It's only because our culture is utterly terrified of death that we spend a fortune denying the inevitable and hurting our loved ones in the process,' wrote Jean Carpenter. -- MICHAEL MASON 