The Forex Journal

(RTTNews) - The White House hopes to have the first step in its final push to enact health reform legislation accomplished within two weeks, before President Barack Obama departs for a trip to Indonesia and Australia. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday that based on conversations he's had with senior staffers who have spoken with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., the House is on schedule to pass the Senate version of a health reform bill before Obama's March 18 departure.

That would put Democrats in place to advance a budget reconciliation measure of technical adjustments to bring the Senate bill more in line with the version that passed the House earlier last year and stripping some controversial provisions that have drawn ire from many around the country.

Using the reconciliation measure, which cannot be blocked by a Senate filibuster and can pass with 51 votes, is seen as the final way to advance reforms since a more traditional conference report melding the two versions of the bill would likely not get even the single GOP vote needed to overcome a filibuster.

Gibbs said that March 18 was not a deadline, merely his sense of the schedule moving forward.

"I believe that, based on conversations that I've had in the building, that we're on schedule to get this through the House by then," he said, adding that Obama would sign it into law shortly thereafter.

He added, "Obviously the Senate has work to do, too, and I'm not absolving them from getting what they need to do done. ? I said that March 18th was a time that we believed was doable."

To ensure he has the votes to back up that goal, Obama will be meeting with groups of House Democrats in the coming days seeking to build up more support for the Senate bill and his own proposed package of fixes.

He met with the first two groups Thursday, meeting separately with liberal House Democrats, many of whom were dismayed that the Senate bill did not include a publically run alternative to private insurers, and then with the moderate New Democrat Coalition.

Gibbs said those meetings were not an attempt by Obama to twist arms to lock down votes.

Obama, Gibbs said, will "describe the benefits of the legislation, why it would help constituents ? why this is important for our country and why it's important for them and ? what happens if we walk away from reform."

"I'd describe the President as being very focused on this goal," Gibbs said. "He was clearly energized and focused yesterday. He continues to be, and thinks we're only a couple of weeks away from getting this done."

Gibbs also dismissed a GOP attack that Obama's nomination of Scott Matheson Jr. to a federal circuit court was an attempt to influence the vote of Matheson's brother, Rep. James Matheson, D-Utah, who initially voted against the reform proposal.

"Based on Mr. [Scott] Matheson's long legal resume, and based on the support he has from somebody important like [Sen.] Orrin Hatch, [R-Utah], who has agreed to help shepherd his nomination through the Senate, I think it's a pretty silly argument," Gibbs said.