WASHINGTON—Looking to push the "long and wrenching debate" over health care into its final stages, President Barack Obama asked lawmakers to schedule a vote on overhaul legislation "in the next few weeks." "No matter which approach you favor, I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health-care reform," Mr. Obama said Wednesday in remarks at the White House. "We have debated this issue thoroughly, not just for a year, but for decades." The president called for an "up-or-down vote," likely opening the way for Democrats to use the budget reconciliation process to pass the legislation without Republican support. Though he didn't mention reconciliation specifically, Mr. Obama said health-care overhaul should be allowed to pass with a simple majority, pointing to past votes on COBRA health coverage and both Bush administration tax cuts. The Democrats' likely strategy would see the House pass the legislation approved by the Senate in December.[Read more...]