House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took to the House floor about 6:30 p.m. to say, 'Today we will pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act … We will make history. We will also make progress for America's working families.' Sources: Pelosi, Dems lock up 218

Hours before an expected vote on a sweeping health care bill, House Democrats believe they've secured the 218 votes they need to approve the bill, several party insiders said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took to the House floor about 6:30 p.m. to say, “Today we will pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act… We will make history. We will also make progress for America's working families."


In response to a question about whether the bill would pass when she brought it up, Pelosi told reporters Saturday night, "That is our expectation."

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), also on the House floor, called the requirement that individuals purchase insure "the most unconsitutional thing I've seen in my life."

Thirty-four Democrats have publicly declared their opposition to the bill, giving party leaders the narrowest possible margin to push the bill across the finish line. But numerous sources said Democrats believe they do have the votes after a day of intense lobbying of wavering Democrats.

Only one Republican is expected to break ranks and vote yes on the bill, Louisiana Rep. Joseph Cao, who represents a heavily Democratic New Orleans-area previously occupied by indicted former Rep. William Jefferson.

Votes have a tendency to shift in the final hours before a controversial vote, but Democratic leaders were expressing more genuine confidence as the sun set over the Capitol than they had exhibited all week. Word started spreading around 5 p.m. that leaders had the votes they needed to pass the $1.2 trillion bill.

Pelosi had all but predicted passage of a House health reform bill earlier Saturday, following an emotional appeal from President Barack Obama to fellow Democrats urging them to “answer the call of history” and vote yes.

But she and her top lieutenants earlier stopped short of saying they had the 218 votes needed for passage – signaling a day of vote-wrangling and arm-twisting that has stretched into Saturday night.

And Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami declined to comment. “We are not commenting on whip counts,” Elshami said.

The stakes for Obama and Pelosi are high – and Obama has made health care his signature legislative priority this year. But vulnerable Democrats’ concerns about of backing the $1.2 trillion measure increased after Tuesday’s Democratic election washout and Friday’s unemployment rate showed unemployment rising above 10 percent for the time in a generation.

Obama urged Democrats not to pass up the chance to make history.

“Now’s the time to finish the job,” Obama said in the Rose Garden, following a 30-minute closed-door meeting with the House Democratic caucus on Capitol Hill.

“I reminded them that opportunities like this come around maybe once in a generation,” Obama said. “This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us — even when it's hard; especially when it's hard. This is our moment to deliver.”

In his last-minute appeal in the Cannon House Office Building, Obama steered clear of legislative details to focus on the historic impact of the vote, comparing this reform push to the establishment of Social Security and Medicare – and reminding Democrats that both were criticized by those who predicted they would eventually lead to the country's collapse.

Obama also reminded them that voting no on the health care bill wouldn’t insulate them from Republican attacks anyway.

“Are we going to stop now, or push forward?” Obama asked.

“Push forward,” a dozen or so Democrats shouted back.

Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) said he thought Obama may have shifted some undecided Democrats into the "yes" column. "I think there were a number of folks in there moved by what [Obama] said, no question about it," Crowley said.

Ahead of Obama’s visit, House leaders won the backing of the nation’s Catholic bishops for a last-minute abortion compromise, a critical boost that could give the health reform bill enough momentum – and enough votes – for passage Saturday.

“I think you’re seeing a level of pragmatism settling in,” said House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) of the different factions in his caucus. “This is a roll call people will remember for the rest of their lives.”

"The things that are up in the air now are what happens after final passage — I hope," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), whose House Energy and Commerce Committee moved the legislation.

But one of the chief vote-counters, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), warned, "Anytime you add an amendment to a bill there's an additional challenge.”

During the day's first round of votes to corral support for the bill, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer made a rare appearance in the Speaker's Lobby, just off the House floor, to look for colleagues. He told a group of reporters, "I'm always gun-shy...At this moment, I'm counting."

Abortion flared up as a last-minute obstacle to passage, as anti-abortion members pressed for – and won – a vote on an amendment barring insurance companies that participate in the exchange from covering abortions.

That prompted the letter of support for the compromise from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Passing this amendment allows the House to meet our criteria of preserving the existing protections against abortion funding in the new legislation," the bishops wrote in a letter to individual members. "Most importantly, it will ensure that no government funds will be used for abortion or health plans which include abortion."

It’s another bitter pill for liberal Democrats but party leaders are gambling that the amendment will be just the breakthrough they need to secure a majority. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) says she'll vote for the bill if the amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) is adopted but remains undecided if it fails. "I hope that won't happen," she said.

Stupak said he has about 220 votes for his amendment, making him confident of passage. Boehner and Reps. Eric Cantor and Mike Pence will all vote “yes” on the Stupak amendment and are putting that word out to members, said a senior Boehner aide.

On the left, most Democratic advocates of abortion rights appear likely to swallow hard and vote for a health care overhaul anyway.

“I don't believe any of us believe we can hold up what we've been fighting for ... and that's health care," said Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.).

Asked whether her allies in the pro-choice movement would support the bill with the Stupak language, Pelosi offered a one-word answer: "Yes."

Boehner fired a warning shot at Democrats this morning, saying “we’re going to do everything we can to try to stop” the bill from passing.

Boehner did not specify what delay tactics he might employ to try to slow the passage of the bill, but as the leader of the party it is customary that he would have unlimited time to speak on the floor about the bill. He once read an entire bill on the floor. “As the day goes on, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure this doesn’t happen,” Boehner said.

With a slew of conservative Blue Dog Democrats still on the fence about supporting the legislation, Boehner said several members of his party are talking to “friends across the aisle” about their support.

“We’re going to see what those who profess to be conservative Democrats are made of,” said Pence (R-Ind.), House Republican Conference Chair.

Chris Frates contributed to this story.