Obama delays trip to deal with health care

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is delaying his trip to Asia next week to focus on his big push on health care.

A senior administration official tells The Associated Press that Obama now plans to leave Washington on March 21 and return March 26. The original dates were March 18 to March 24. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House hasn’t announced the delay.

The president will visit the same countries as planned — Indonesia, Guam and Australia. The trip was scheduled to coincide with his daughters’ spring vacation from school, but now his family apparently isn’t going.

Word about the delay comes as the White House presses Congress to pass a health care overhaul. Obama’s top priority has sputtered and the administration is trying to save it after a year of contentious debate.