Obama Urges Democrats to Pass Health Reform Legislation This Month

POLITICO reports that President Barack Obama “told top congressional Democrats Thursday that he was putting his political capital behind health care reform and reminded them that it was crucial for both chambers to pass legislation this month, according to three sources familiar with the conversation.”

"Obama made a very firm pitch that they need to get the bills out of the House and Senate and we’ll worry about the details in September," said a health care insider.

Notably, he also stressed “the importance of keeping critical ads that could undermine momentum to a minimum, particularly among liberal groups, and indicated that he was already working to curtail them, said a source involved in the call.”

On the call:

The high-powered call included Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus; key Senate health committee member Sen. Chris Dodd and the three committee chairmen shepherding health reform in the House: Reps. Henry Waxman, Charlie Rangel and George Miller.