Obama seeks unity over health care bill

23 Dec 2009, 3:04 pm   -   Source: AAP
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US President Barack Obama has backed the Senate's version of legislation to remake US health care, ahead of its all-but-certain passage on Christmas Eve.

US President Barack Obama has strongly backed the Senate's version of sweeping legislation to remake US health care, as the bill drew fire ahead of its all-but-certain passage on Christmas Eve.

Obama told Tuesday's Washington Post he was "not just grudgingly supporting the bill" and that the measure achieved "95 per cent" of the goals he laid out during his 2008 White House bid and a major speech in September.

"We don't feel that the core elements to help the American people have been compromised in any significant way," the US president said.

"I am very enthusiastic about what we have achieved."

His comments came as Senate leaders unveiled a deal to hold final votes on the bill from early Christmas Eve morning, cheering weary staff eager to spend the holiday at home.

With passage essentially assured, attention turned to future negotiations aimed at forging a compromise between the Senate bill and the House of Representatives version, approved on November 7.

The two measures differ on several key points and some high-profile progressives among Obama's Democratic allies have openly preferred the House version, setting up an intra-Democratic battle if they hold their ground.

One potential battle looms over the Senate's decision to strip the bill of a government-backed "public option" to compete with private insurers.

Another fight is likely over the House's tougher restrictions on federal funds subsidising abortions, with pro-choice lawmakers denouncing the limits and centrist Democrats saying they will abandon the bill without them.

Centrist Senators, without whom the bill lacks the 60 votes needed to ensure passage, have warned that they will doom the measure if the House-Senate talks lead to drastic changes to the upper chamber's hard-won compromise.

"I don't see having a lot of adjustments on the Senate bill being satisfactory," said one of the swing-voters, Democratic Senator Ben Nelson, warning against any compromise that could be "a deal-breaker".

Nelson's support was vital, as Democrats need all 58 of their number and their two independent allies to corral the 60 votes needed to break through any parliamentary delays invoked by the White House's Republican foes.

Facing an insurrection on his left flank, Obama insisted the Senate bill had most of what he wanted, underlined that he had not embraced the public option in the 2008 campaign, and pleaded for Democrats to accept the compromise.

"Do these pieces of legislation have exactly everything I want? Of course not. But they have the things that are necessary to reduce costs for businesses, families and the government," said Obama.

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