Obama Makes 11th Hour Push For Health Care Bill

With the House vote on the Affordable Health Care for America Act expected within hours, President Barack Obama came to Capitol Hill Saturday to secure votes from Congressional Democrats.

The president spoke for approximately 15 minutes, veering away from controversial topics such as the public option and abortion funding.

“[It was] higher level,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) told reporters. “[Obama] talked about the imperative of the country, talked about the tough decisions, acknowledged that it was hard.”

Instead, the President focused on his desire to lower health costs for families and small businesses, casting the impending vote as a historic opportunity.

Obama acknowledged the heated opposition to the bill being waged by Conservative activists, telling the caucus that Democrats could not win them over simply by opposing the legislation.

Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who served in the House from 2002-2008, accompanied the President. Emanuel reportedly worked the room, talking to his former colleagues on an individual basis.

The president’s remarks were received warmly, with some members spontaneously bursting out with calls of “fired up, ready to go,” a popular slogan from Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.