With Senate Vote Pending, Obama's Vacation Will Wait

6006304Updated 1:07 p.m. Eastern Time

President Obama told reporters today that he will stay in D.C. until the Senate completes action on health care bill, CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports - even if that means working until just before Christmas.

Mr. Obama said he won't leave until senators finish their work.

"My attitude is that if they're making these sacrifices to provide health care to all Americans then the least I can do is to be around and provide them any encouragement and last-minute help where necessary," he said.

The president has been planning to spend Christmas in Hawaii with his family. The Senate is now going through a series of votes to pass the health care bill, with final passage expected on Christmas Eve.

Democrats have crafted a fragile coalition of 60 votes in favor of the bill, but Republicans could filibuster if a single senator changes his or her mind. It is widely expected that the coalition will hold.

At least four times at today's White House press briefing - his last for the year - spokesman Robert Gibbs said "it's not a question of if, it's a question of when" health care reform will be passed and signed into law.

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