Obama calls Owens on health care bill

President Barack Obama called Rep. William L. Owens on Thursday night to see where the freshman Democrat from Plattsburgh stood on the landmark health care reform bill up for consideration Sunday.

Mr. Owens told the president during the cell phone call, which lasted less than 10 minutes, that he won't decide how to vote on the bill until he's done reading it, his spokesman, Sean Magers, said. Mr. Owens also expressed concerns about the accuracy of the Congressional Budget Office's projections on the cost of the bill, which is estimated at $940 billion over a 10-year period.

"From what I understand, there was no pressure — they just wanted to know where he was on the vote," said Mr. Magers. "I would compare it to a regular whip call, just with the leader of the free world on the other end of the line."

Mr. Owens is also meeting with House Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., this afternoon to discuss the bill, his spokesman said.