US President Barack Obama has appeared before Senate Democrats¹ to persuade them to support his healthcare plans.

美国总统奥巴马出席参议院民主党会议，劝说他们支持自己的医疗改革方案。

Obama said voters would reward Democrats for decades

In a rare weekend session, the Senate has gathered to debate and vote in a bid to get the bill completed by the end of the month.

Mr Obama urged his Democratic Party senators to "get the job done".

Democrats are divided over abortion流产 and whether to allow the government to compete with private companies to sell insurance.

'Affordable³ coverage⁴'

Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, a key author of the healthcare overhaul⁵, said Mr Obama had told the senators that the public would reward Democrats for decades if the reform got through.

"You could tell it had an effect," Mr Baucus said.

Obama aide Bill Burton said the president had urged legislators to "continue forward on this historic opportunity to provide stability and security for those who have insurance, affordable coverage for those who don't".

Senate Majority Leader Harry⁶ Reid, who had invited Mr Obama to the meeting, said that Republicans wanted this to be "President Obama's Waterloo" adding: "It's not going to be".

Vice-President Joe Biden also attended the closed-door meeting.

The $848bn (£515bn) 10-year legislation seeks to establish a government-backed "public option" for healthcare coverage to compete with private insurers私人保险公司, but allows states to opt⁷ out退出.

Moderate and liberal lawmakers met on Saturday to try to find a compromise妥协，折衷 on the government insurance plan, or public option.

Despite obstacles ahead, the White House Office of Health Reform said the process was "going really well".

The healthcare bill is a key domestic issue for President Obama.

The legislation aims to extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans, but faces entrenched确定的 opposition⁹ from Republicans.

The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill earlier this month.

If the Senate can agree a plan, the two versions will have to be reconciled调解，和解 and passed again by each chamber¹⁰ before they are sent to the White House for approval.

The legislation could lead to the biggest changes in US healthcare in decades, if approved.