Obama Calls Holdouts on Health Care

House Democrats have cleared an impasse over abortion that has been holding up a vote on sweeping health care legislation.

Crowds gather on the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, during a Republican health care legislation news conference. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

(AP)

A vote is expected on Saturday — after President Barack Obama makes a late morning trip to the Capitol to make one final pitch for the legislation.

According to Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan, he and other abortion opponents will be given a chance to insert tougher abortion restrictions into the legislation during debate on the House floor.

The leadership hopes that no matter how that vote turns out, Democrats will then unite to give the health care bill a majority over unanimous Republican opposition.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Short on votes, House Democratic leaders offered fresh concessions Friday night to anti-abortion lawmakers and worked to ease the concerns of Hispanic holdouts as they struggled to round up the support needed to pass sweeping health care legislation.

President Barack Obama lobbied by phone to save his top domestic priority, an expansion of coverage that Democrats have sought for more than a half-century.

"We're very close" to having enough votes to prevail, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said in a midday assessment, although he added a scheduled Saturday vote could slip by a day or two and sought to pin the blame on possible Republican delaying tactics.

"Nice try, Rep. Hoyer, but you can't blame Republicans when the fact is you just don't have the votes," shot back Antonia Ferrier, spokeswoman for the GOP leader, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio.

Hours later, Democrats were still trying to get them.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi presided over late-night meetings with Democratic abortion foes, whose votes were critical to the bill's fate, then with supporters of abortion rights, who are among the health legislation's biggest advocates in the House.