Published on November 7, 2009 at 12:01 AM
President Barack Obama's meeting with House Democrats - originally scheduled for today - is now slated for tomorrow, in advance of an expected weekend vote on the health reform bill.
The Associated Press reports Obama is headed to Walter Reed Army Hospital today, a trip that "had been scheduled before the fatal shootings Thursday at Fort Hood in Texas" (11/5).
Roll Call reports on what's expected at the Saturday meeting: "Obama will say that 'there are a lot of critical provisions and lots of things in the bill that are important components of health reform,' said one White House official. But aides said a portion of Obama's pitch will be to suggest that Democrats should vote for the legislation to keep the process moving forward, even if they have some reservations about its substance" (Koffler, 11/6).
Politico reports that the White House will endorse "strongly" the House bill Friday, but that Obama is not favoring it over the Senate legislation. "When the (House) bill was introduced last week, Obama was careful not to throw his weight behind the proposal. Instead, he highlighted provisions he liked such as the bill's insurance reforms and its public option, but he stopped short of endorsing the legislation" (Frates, 11/5).