In a fundraising appeal titled “Hillarycare revisited,” the Republican National Committee warned about “Obamacare” and said the government “already runs car companies, banks and mortgage companies. Republicans believe that the last thing the American people want is government telling them when and where — or even whether — they can get medical treatment for their families.”

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats — though hardly in lockstep over how to achieve reform — are escalating their call for action against a tightening timetable.

Obama, who warned Congress not to delay upon returning from his latest overseas trip, gave another pep talk to Congress on health care reform Wednesday a...

In a fundraising appeal titled “Hillarycare revisited,” the Republican National Committee warned about “Obamacare” and said the government “already runs car companies, banks and mortgage companies. Republicans believe that the last thing the American people want is government telling them when and where — or even whether — they can get medical treatment for their families.”

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats — though hardly in lockstep over how to achieve reform — are escalating their call for action against a tightening timetable.

Obama, who warned Congress not to delay upon returning from his latest overseas trip, gave another pep talk to Congress on health care reform Wednesday afternoon. He said the “status quo” was unsustainable and called on Congress to “buck up” and pass legislation.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee, gave a similar assessment.

“We cannot allow this issue to be delayed. We cannot put it off again,” he said.”We, quite frankly, cannot go home for a recess unless the House and the Senate both pass bills to reform and restructure our health care system.”

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid said he wanted floor debate to begin a week from Monday. With the Senate Finance Committee still struggling to reach consensus on its own bill, that timetable could slip. Even so, it underscored a renewed sense of urgency.

Obama’s political organization is launching a series of 30-second television ads on health care, which will begin airing Wednesday in Washington and on cable TV nationally. A version will run on local stations in eight states — Arkansas, Indiana, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska and Ohio — to prod senators to back the health care effort. They will run for two weeks.

CBO Predicts Cost Explosion in House Version

In the ads, private citizens describe problems they’ve had with the medical system and say it’s time for action. The sponsor is Organizing for America, Obama’s campaign organization, which has become part of the national Democratic Party. The group would not reveal the cost.

All involved were mindful of the dwindling days before Congress leaves town. Obama wants legislation through the House and Senate before then to slow rising costs and extend coverage to some 50 million uninsured Americans.

Under the House Democrats’ plan, the federal government would be responsible for ensuring that every person, regardless of income or the state of ...

CBO Predicts Cost Explosion in House Version

In the ads, private citizens describe problems they’ve had with the medical system and say it’s time for action. The sponsor is Organizing for America, Obama’s campaign organization, which has become part of the national Democratic Party. The group would not reveal the cost.

All involved were mindful of the dwindling days before Congress leaves town. Obama wants legislation through the House and Senate before then to slow rising costs and extend coverage to some 50 million uninsured Americans.

Under the House Democrats’ plan, the federal government would be responsible for ensuring that every person, regardless of income or the state of their health, has access to an affordable insurance plan. Individuals and employers would have new obligations to get coverage, or face hefty penalties. The CBO estimated that the plan would reduce the number of “nonelderly” uninsured by 37 million over 10 years.

The legislation calls for a 5.4 percent tax increase on individuals making more than $1 million a year, with a gradual tax beginning at $280,000 for individuals. Employers who don’t provide coverage would be hit with a penalty equal to 8 percent of workers’ wages, with an exemption for small businesses. Individuals who decline an offer of affordable coverage would pay 2.5 percent of their incomes as a penalty, up to the average cost of a health insurance plan.

Three House committees will begin voting on the bill Thursday. Changes in the legislation are likely to satisfy a group of moderate and conservative Democrats who are withholding support.

The 1,000-page bill is unlikely to attract any Republican backing, and business groups and the insurance industry immediately assailed it as a job-killer.

The Finance Committee was striving to produce a bill by the end of the week, though the committee’s chairman, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., acknowledged it would be a challenge to meet Obama’s timeline.