Report: Dems have votes on healthcare bill

Democrats in the U.S. House said Saturday they had the votes needed to pass a $1 trillion healthcare bill, a Washington publication reported.

Politico cited unnamed Democratic sources as saying their internal head counts show they have more than the 218 votes needed for passage.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said on the floor.

Since all Republicans are expected to vote against the bill, passage depends on keeping enough wavering Democrats in the fold.

President Barack Obama, in a last-minute lobbying bid, came to the U.S. Capitol about three hours after the debate began.

Democrats agreed late Friday to allow members of the party who oppose abortion to offer an amendment that would effectively block federal funds from being used for the procedure. The amendment would ban the plan from covering abortions and bar anyone getting a subsidy for insurance from buying a private plan that pays for them.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which supports the rest of the bill, lobbied fiercely on the abortion issue. Republicans and a handful of Democrats say the bill is too expensive

said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La..

The Democrats have 258 seats in the House and need at least 218 votes to pass the bill.