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Moments after President Obama's comments, the health care legislation cleared its first hurdle when Democrats approved a rule setting the terms of the debate.

WASHINGTON -- President Obama urged the House on Saturday to "finish the job" in passing its version of a sweeping health care overhaul after he met privately with Democrats.

"This is our moment to live up to the trust that the American people has placed in us, even when it's hard -- especially when it's hard," he said from the Rose Garden of the White House. "This is our moment to deliver."

Moments after Obama's comments, the legislation cleared its first hurdle when Democrats approved a rule setting the terms of the debate.

But the battle lines have hardened as Democratic leaders predicted passage of the House bill and GOP leaders vowed to derail it.

"We will pass health care reform," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said after Obama's visit to Capitol Hill.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader John Boehner vowed to do everything he can to "stop this from becoming law."

"The American people do not want this," he said. "We're going to do everything we can to make sure this does not happen."

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor said Democrats are joining their side to vote against the bill.

"The bipartisanship is in opposing this bill," he said, explaining that there are at least 21 Democrats who are going to vote against it.

Obama tried to rally last-minute support for the bill, saying, "Now is the time to finish the job."

"The bill that the House has produced will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who don't; and lower costs for American families and American businesses," Obama said. "And as I've insisted from the beginning, it is a bill that is fully paid for and will actually reduce our long-term federal deficit."

Obama made his trip to the Capitol complex as abortion rights lawmakers voiced anger at a last-minute concession granted to foes of the procedure, who were given a vote on their proposal for stronger restrictions on abortion coverage.

"There is a risk" that some in the Pro-Choice Caucus would vote against the legislation if the stricter curbs are adopted, said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.

The bill would cost $1.2 trillion over the next decade. It would provide health coverage to tens of millions of Americans who don't have it now, require most employers to offer it to their workers and prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on a person's medical history.

"The status quo is unaffordable and unsustainable. Health care reform benefits all of us," said Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., as debate opened on the House floor.

The historic House vote, planned for late Saturday, was expected to be tight and Democratic leaders hoped Obama's late-morning visit would tip the balance in their favor.

In the opening moments of debate, Democrats hailed the legislation while Republicans said it would be a government takeover of the health care system that would damage the economy and erode the doctor-patient relationship.

Late Friday, House Democrats cleared an abortion-related impasse blocking a vote and officials expressed optimism they had finally lined up the support needed to pass Obama's signature issue.

"We expect it to come to a vote. We expect it to have 218 votes," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Saturday.

"It's not going to fund abortions," he added. "It's not going to fund illegal immigrants."

Under the arrangement, Democratic Reps. Bart Stupak of Michigan, Brad Ellsworth of Indiana and other abortion opponents were promised an opportunity to insert tougher restrictions into the legislation during debate on the House floor.

The leadership's hope is that no matter how that vote turns out, Democrats on both sides of the abortion divide will then unite to give the health care bill a majority over unanimous Republican opposition.

"We wish to maintain current law, which says no public funding for abortion," Stupak said. "We are not writing a new federal abortion policy."

Ellsworth added, "From day one, my goal has been to ensure federal tax dollars are not used to pay for abortions and to provide Americans with pro-life options on the exchange. And I am proud to be part of an effort to help make this goal a reality."

But the amendment drew criticism from Planned Parenthood.

"Planned Parenthood strongly opposes the Stupak/Pitts amendment which would result in women losing health benefits they have today," the group's president, Cecile Richards, said in a written statement.

"This amendment would violate the spirit of health care reform, which is meant to guarantee quality, affordable health care coverage for all, by creating a two-tiered system that would punish women, particularly those with low and modest incomes," she added.

"Women won't stand for legislation that takes away their current benefits and leaves them worse off after health care reform than they are today," she said.

With Democrats' command of the necessary votes looking tenuous in the final hours, Obama threw the weight of his administration behind the effort to round up support. He and top administration officials worked the phones to pressure wavering lawmakers.

Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., said he heard Friday from Obama, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Their message: "This is a historic moment. You don't want to end up with nothing," said Altmire, who remained undecided.

Democratic leaders hoped to hold the vote Saturday evening, but Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said it could slip.

Democrats hold 258 seats in the House and can afford 40 defections and still wind up with 218, a majority if all lawmakers vote. But all 177 Republicans were expected to vote "no," and Democratic leaders faced a series of complications trying to seal the needed votes for their complex and controversial legislation that would affect one-sixth of the economy and touch the lives of countless Americans.

In the GOP's weekly radio address, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Democrats should scrap their ambitious legislation and concentrate on modest health care changes that could find bipartisan support.

"The House Democrats' health care bill should be withdrawn and reworked," he said.

Tuesday's elections -- in which Democrats lost two governors' races -- sent a message that voters care about jobs, not growing the size of government, Barbour said.

The final hurdle for the Democrats was a controversy over federal funding for abortion, which simmered into Friday night with tensions running high as party leaders shuttled between meetings of anti-abortion and abortion rights lawmakers.

Federal law currently prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in the case of rape, incest of situations in which the life of the mother is in danger. That left unresolved whether individuals would be permitted to use their own funds to buy insurance coverage for the procedure in the federally backed insurance exchange envisioned under the legislation.

Democrats have little room for error, with the prospect of the 2010 midterms looming large and a some of their own moderates already declaring their opposition.

The 10-year, $1.2 trillion House bill would create a new federally supervised insurance marketplace where the uninsured could purchase coverage.

Consumers would have the option of picking a government-run plan, the most hotly contested item in the legislation.

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