White House denies health drive could cost House
by Oliver Knox
WASHINGTON-The White House denied Tuesday that Democrats could pay the heavy price of losing their House of Representatives majority in return for passing President Barack Obama's health reform bill.

Obama's political operation placed more pressure on Democratic lawmakers, in a last-ditch operation to finally drive his top priority into law, a day after the president turned up the heat on predatory insurance firms.

"I don't think it's going to cost Democrats the House," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told ABC News.

"I think this will be an accomplishment that members can be proud of, not just in this election... but for decades to come."

In a bid to evade Republican blocking tactics, Obama wants the House to ditch legislation it approved in November and pass the Senate's version, of health care reform coupled with "fixes" to that bill.

But the approach is high-risk as some conservative Democrats oppose it and others have a wary eye on the polls with a third of senators and all of the House up for reelection in November's mid-term elections.

The stakes have long since risen above health care reform -- as complicated as that is. Obama's political authority and hoped for legacy as a reforming president are squarely on the line, in the biggest fight of his career.

Gibbs said that Obama would vocally lead the health care fight over the next few weeks, as he seeks a House vote on his plan before leaving on a week-long journey to Indonesia and Australia on March 18.

Many polls suggest Americans have turned against Obama's health plans after a year of hardball politics and bickering over his signature reform effort, but aides believe that perceptions could change if the bill is finally passed.

"It'll be something that Democrats can be proud to run on in November," Gibbs said.

With millions of Americans lacking coverage, Obama accused insurance giants Monday of cynically calculating that even if rate hikes cost them customers, they could rake in more cash through higher premiums on remaining plan holders.

Republicans complain Obama's plan would mean higher taxes and be partly paid for by cuts to government health care plans for elderly people.

Obama counters that his approach would cut costs, expand access, rein in abuses by health care insurance firms and help reduce the rolls of more than 40 million people in America who lack health coverage.

The United States is the world's richest nation but the only industrialized democracy that does not provide health care coverage to all its citizens.