President Obama meets with Senate Democrats in rare Sunday meeting on health care reform (video)

Answering a request made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, President Barack Obama made a trip to the Capitol to beseech the senators to push the health care reform bill forward. President Obama spoke for approximately 45 minutes. Vice President Joe Biden was also in attendance.

Reports state that President Obama didn’t answer questions, but he reassured Senate Democrats that he will help pass the health care reform any was possible. There are still issues that need to be worked through and areas where Democrats are divided; specifically abortion and the public option.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated, “Ten, 20, 30, 40 years from now, people are going to look back at what this Congress did. And each time they see a child being able to go to the doctor when they're sick or hurt, seeing someone that just because they lose their job they don't lose their insurance, someone who gets diabetes doesn't mean a lifetime of not being able to get insurance. That's what this legislation is all about.”

While President Obama tries to unite Democrats to focus on the bigger picture at hand and to pass health care reform, Republicans remain firm in their opposition to the plan. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also expressed his feelings regarding the fact that Republicans were not invited to the meeting. He expressed concern that the exclusion shows that the fight for health care is a partisan one.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated that he wants a bill passed by Christmas. If that is to happen, Senators will continue to work straight through, quite possibly on Christmas Eve.