Obama asks Cao to give health bill another look

President Barack Obama has asked the only House Republican to vote for the Democrats' healthcare reform bill to reconsider the abortion language released this week.

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.) told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that the president made the request and said that he agreed to it. 

According to a survey conducted by The Hill, all House Republicans are expected to vote no, including Cao, who did not say whether he would change his stance.

Here's more from the Times-Picayune:

"He's asked if I would restudy the Senate language and that I would approach it with an open mind. And I promised that I would go back and study the Senate language again," Cao said after meeting with Obama in the Oval Office for about 10 minutes Wednesday.

Cao said he appreciated the president's sensitive approach in seeking his vote on an issue that many observers say could make or break Obama's presidency.

"He fully understands where I stand on abortion, and he doesn't want me to vote against my conscience because he, like me, believes that if we were to vote against our conscience, our moral values, there is really nothing left for us to defend," Cao said. "I'm glad that the president is very understanding. He really shows his own moral character."

"He did not whip me on the vote," he said.

The freshman Republican voted for the House healthcare bill in November partly because it contained the Stupak-Pitts amendment that mandated tough restrictions on federal funding for abortion services.

The fixes to the bill adhere more closely to the Senate's bill, which anti-abortion rights lawmakers say has looser rules when it comes to abortion funding. Democratic leaders have said that both bills prevent federal funds from paying for abortions, thereby following the law.