Obama prods House to pass health care bill

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A White House official says President Barack Obama told House Democrats that Congress has a historic opportunity for making big changes to the country's health care system.

Obama met privately with Democrats for about an hour on Capitol Hill on Saturday as the House began debate on a health care overhaul.

A White House official who was in the meeting says Obama told lawmakers they have the great chance now to provide stability and security for people with insurance — and offer affordable coverage for the uninsured, too, while bringing down costs for everyone.

He told lawmakers he wants to sign a bill by year's end.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the closed-door session.