Obama’s last push to get health bill passed

US President Barack Obama is leading his Democratic allies in an all-out campaign to win over wavering lawmakers ahead of a cliffhanger vote tomorrow on his historic healthcare overhaul.

A day after postponing a planned trip to Asia to June so he could make 11th-hour personal appeals by telephone and in person to tip the balance in his favour in the make-or- break House of Representatives test, Obama yesterday headed to nearby Virginia in an election rally-style push for reform.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president had spoken to more than three dozen lawmakers since last Monday on a hunt for the 216 votes that ensure passage.

“We greatly regret the delay,” Gibbs told reporters of the postponed visit to Australia and Indonesia, but “passage of health insurance reform is of paramount importance and the president is determined to see this battle through”.

The bill aims to extend coverage to 32 million Americans who now have none, bringing the world’s richest country closer than ever to guaranteeing health insurance for all of its citizens, with 95% of Americans covered.

Democratic Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, praised Obama’s ability to win over support for his top domestic priority, telling reporters: “His personal presence helps.”

The Democratic plan calls for the House to pass the Senate’s version of the legislation tomorrow, followed by both chambers approving a set of “fixes” to make the bill more to the House’s liking.

“We feel very strong about where we are,” said Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a major force behind the 10-year plan, but “every vote around here is a heavy lift”.

Pelosi was working to rally liberal Democrats, who view the bill as too timid, and conservative Democrats who fear the price to pay in November mid-term elections for passing a measure many in their districts see as overambitious.

The powerful AFL-CIO labour federation declared its “strong, active support” for the bill despite reservations about some of its contents. “We are convinced that now is the time to say ‘Yes’,” it said.

But the president’s Republican foes in Congress vowed to make every effort to derail what they called a costly and dangerous proposal that would see taxes rise.

“We’re going to continue to work closely together to do everything that we can do to make sure that this bill never, ever, ever passes,” said Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner.

Obama led Democrats in hailing fresh figures from the Congressional Budget Office showing the bill would cut the deficit by $138 billion ($102bn) to 2019 and $1.2 trillion the following decade.

“This is but one virtue of a reform that will bring the accountability to the insurance industry and greater economic security to all Americans,” said Obama.

The bill aims to end abusive insurance-company practices and curb soaring healthcare costs.