Obama facing Republicans in live summit
Published:Thursday | February 25, 2010 | 12:53 PM
US President Barack Obama is now facing top Republicans in a live TV summit on healthcare.
The summit forms part of a fresh bid to save his troubled reform plans.
At least 40 congressional Democrats and Republicans are taking part in the debate in Washington DC.
Analysts say the six-hour summit offers more potential for political theatre than solving the legislative stalemate.
Mr Obama opened the debate this morning by emphasising the importance of the healthcare issue.
The House of Representatives and the Senate passed separate healthcare bills at the end of last year.
However, efforts to merge them and sign a bill into law collapsed last month when Republicans won a special election in Massachusetts.