Scramble on for health care bill votes

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama and House Democrats scrambled on Thursday to secure the votes to pass a historic health care overhaul initiative, working to ease disagreements with the rank-and-file over abortion and illegal immigrations.

Obama met at the White House with several Hispanic lawmakers who oppose any prohibition on the ability of illegal immigrants to use their own money to purchase health coverage in a new government-run marketplace.

"He listened to us. We listened to him," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. "We made it very clear that 20 votes in the Hispanic caucus" depend on the language in the House bill. Currently, there is no prohibition in the legislation, but the White House backs such a ban and one exists in the Senate bill.

House Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., said later that she did not think there would be any change to the House bill.

The second-ranking Democrat in the House said lawmakers would debate and vote Saturday on the $1.2-trillion, 10-year measure that expands coverage to millions of uninsured. In a major boost, the American Medical Association and the powerful seniors' lobby AARP threw their weight behind the bill. AARP, with its 40 million members, promised to run ads and contact activists to gin up support.

Obama planned a rare visit to the House this morning to persuade wavering Democrats.

Democratic opponents of abortion, under pressure from Catholic bishops, want stronger provisions in the bill so that no federal funds would be used to finance abortions in coverage bought in the government-run exchange.

Language being circulated by one anti-abortion Democrat, Rep. Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, seemed likely to be the basis for an agreement. Ellsworth's language aims to strengthen stipulations already in the bill against federal money being used to pay for abortions. It still would allow people to pay for abortion coverage with their own money.

Slaughter said she expected that language to be included in the bill.

Obama heralded the support of the AARP and the AMA.

"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.

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

"We are right on the brink," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "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 nail down the majority votes they'll need to pass the bill.

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.