Obama, House Dems confident on health care vote

AP - By ERICA WERNER and RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

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Buoyed by two major endorsements, House Democratic leaders on Thursday predicted swift passage of President Barack Obama's historic health overhaul initiative. The president himself declared, "We are closer to passing this reform than ever before."

With a vote set for Saturday, momentum gathered behind the sweeping legislation to remake the U.S. health care system and extend coverage to millions of the uninsured. The American Medical Association and the powerful seniors' lobby AARP both threw their weight behind the bill Thursday. AARP, with its 40 million members, promised to run ads and contact activists to gin up support.

"I urge Congress to listen to AARP, listen to the AMA, and pass this reform for hundreds of millions of Americans who will benefit from it," Obama told reporters during an unannounced visit to the White House briefing room after the endorsements were announced.

At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Democrats were listening.

"We are right on the brink," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "We have an historic opportunity for us to again provide quality health care for all Americans. It is something that many of us have worked our whole political lifetimes on."

Pelosi and other Democratic leaders were working to negotiate final language on abortion and illegal immigration and nail down the 218 votes they'll need to pass the bill. Obama planned to give them an assist Friday with a rare visit to Capitol Hill to meet with Democrats and shore up any wavering support.

Despite the optimism, work remained to be done, and a much slower timeline in the Senate made the ultimate outcome unpredictable. Action in the Senate may not come until next year, and legislation passed by the two chambers would have to be reconciled before a bill could go to Obama.

Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and other House leaders spent Thursday in back-to-back meetings on final details of the 10-year, $1.2 trillion bill. Hoyer, D-Md., predicted a tight vote.

"I wouldn't refer to it as a squeaker, but I think it's going to be close," Hoyer said in an interview with wire service reporters. "This is a huge undertaking."

Leaders were hoping anti-abortion Democrats could coalesce around language strengthening restrictions already in the bill against federal funding going to pay for abortions, but anti-abortion groups weren't satisfied. On immigration, there was still a question as to whether illegal immigrants -- who would not get federal subsidies to help them buy coverage -- would be allowed to shop for private insurance within a new purchasing exchange using their own money.