Obama postpones Indonesia, Australia trip

[darrels joy]

Obama postpones Indonesia, Australia trip

11 mins ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama Thursday postponed his trip to Indonesia and Australia until a later date, as he attempts to push his health care reform bill through Congress.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama would now travel to Indonesia in June, but did not say whether the president would also go on to Australia on that journey.

Gibbs said Obama had called Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and would later call Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to tell him he would have to put the trip off to a "later date."

The president's spokesman said it was now clear that a House of Representatives vote on health care reform could not now take place until Sunday afternoon at the earliest.

Obama had already delayed his departure by three days until Sunday morning in a bid to finally pilot his top domestic priority through Congress.

He was also to have visited the US Pacific territory of Guam on the trip.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100318...20100318170802