Obama delays meeting with House Dems until Saturday

President Barack Obama will meet with House Democrats to discuss healthcare on Saturday, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has planned a vote on the measure.

A White House aide said the trip was postponed "to be closer to the vote."

Obama had planned to meet with the group on Friday, but the White House schedule for the day, which came out late Thursday night, noted that the meeting has been moved to Saturday.

Instead, Vice President Joe Biden will make calls to House members from his home in Wilmington, Del. "about the need to pass health insurance reform," according to Biden's schedule.

The delay from the White House comes after thousands of protesters marched on Capitol Hill on Thursday, demanding that lawmakers defeat the bill for myriad reasons.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday that Obama was not meeting with House Democrats because he was concerned about the vote count.

"No, his visit is a sign of trying to continue to make progress and get this done," Gibbs said.

Obama is scheduled to leave Washington on Wednesday for an extended tour of Asia.

Instead of visiting Capitol Hill on Friday, Obama will make his first visit as president to Walter Reed Hospital to meet with wounded troops.

He is also scheduled to meet with advisers, sign the homebuyers tax credit extension and meet with Rep.-elect Bill Owens (D-N.Y.) in the Oval Office.

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