Representative Brad Ellsworth News

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

The House Leadership announced last evening that the floor debate on the health care bill will begin at 9:00am this Saturday morning, November 7th with votes occurring as early as 9am.

The House of Representatives Saturday passed, by a 220-215 vote, historic health-care overhaul legislation that would require virtually all Americans to obtain health insurance and create a government-run health insurance plan to help them do so.

Senator Mike Johanns today urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressional majority leaders not to defy democratic principles by stifling debate and preventing a vote to protect the sanctity of life.

House Democratic leaders are working to secure the 218 votes required to pass the House health care reform bill ahead of a possible vote this weekend, the Washington Post reports.

Snacking on cheese and crackers in an upstairs apartment, political activists took time to celebrate where they were this time last year.

President Obama with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other House members after addressing the House Democratic Caucus on Capitol Hill on Saturday.

TO HEALTH, NATIONAL AND POLITICAL EDITORS: Bill WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the House of and Lipinski amendment to the "Affordable Health Care for America Act" . The amendment maintains the current policy of preventing federal funding for abortion and for benefits packages that include abortion.

While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi can afford to lose up to 40 votes and still win passage, there are dozens of other lawmakers who remain on the fence publicly.

The bipartisan abortion amendment passed during Saturday's health care debate was co-sponsored by Rep.

Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., was being credited Saturday by anti-abortion advocates with playing an integral role in crafting an agreement that enabled House members to pass health care reform bill Bill details The House health care bill passed Saturday would: n Require most Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a fine.

The question of abortion coverage in the health care bill has bedeviled top Democrats for weeks.

Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives scrambled on Friday to allay lingering concerns about a broad health care overhaul and said a landmark vote planned for Saturday could slip a day or more.

Capping months of months of struggle, House Democrats cleared an abortion-related impasse blocking a vote on sweeping health care legislation late Friday and officials expressed optimism they had finally lined up the support needed to pass President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

Indiana's Democratic lawmakers are keeping their opinions on the House's health-care reform bill to themselves.

Today at 2pm the House Rules Committee will meet to consider the rule for H.R. 3962 , the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Washington D.C., Nov 4, 2009 .- A new amendment to a health care reform bill which claims to remove government funding for abortions is drawing criticism from pro-life leaders who deem it to be 'phony.' The provision would actually fund abortion and is inferior to the proposed Stupak Amendment, they charge.

House Democratic leaders struggled Wednesday to strike a deal that would restrict the use of federal money to pay for abortions under sweeping health care legislation headed for debate on the House floor this week.

"The Coalition Against Organized Retail Crime thanks Subcommittee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott for holding this hearing and for his commitment to providing federal law enforcement with the tools they need to address this growing criminal activity," said the coalition.

Rep. Bart Stupak , co-chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus. Rep. Bart Stupak , who has organized a group of about 40 Democrats who are committed to killing the health care bill if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does not give them a straight up-or down vote on an amendment that would prohibit federal dollars from paying for any part of any health ...