Updated 03/20/2010 07:49 PM
Obama Says Congress Poised To Pass Health Care Reforms
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President Barack Obama vowed Saturday that the House of Representatives will get health care reform passed in an historic vote scheduled for Sunday.
In a rare Saturday appearance on Capitol Hill, the president made a last-minute push for the bill that would extend coverage to an estimated 32 million uninsured and forbid insurers from denying coverage because of of pre-existing medical conditions.
The president, joined by fellow Democrats, said the bill is "the single most important step that we have taken on health care since Medicare," and called it a win-win for employers, workers and the economy.
"We are not bound to succeed, but we are bound to let whatever light we have shine. We have been debating healthcare for decades. It has now been debated for a year. It is in your hands," said Obama. "It is time to pass health care for America and I am confident you are going to do it tomorrow."
"The best for all Americans is to have 32 million more people have health insurance in our country. The best for our country is to have $1.3 trillion in deficit reduction," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
As of Saturday, reports said that Staten Island-Brooklyn Representative Michael McMahon was one of the undecided Democratic votes.
Meantime, party leaders said Saturday they were considering an executive order on abortion that would not require congressional approval. The order would reaffirm that no federal money can be used for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
House leaders have decided on a straight up-or-down vote on the measure instead of a controversial indirect vote that would have relied on a legislative maneuver to approve the Senate's version of the legislation.
Congressional analysts estimate the cost of the House and Senate bills combined would be $940 billion over a decade.