The House is moving toward a floor vote Saturday on its big health care overhaul, after Democratic leaders worked to nail down votes from some of their members who want stronger anti-abortion language in the bill.

House Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise M. Slaughter said Wednesday that the rule for considering the sweeping health care legislation will encompass anti-abortion language put forward by Brad Ellsworth , D-Ind.

The Ellsworth language would become part of the House adopts the rule for the bill, Slaughter said. It would explicitly prohibit federal funding for abortions and also guarantee patients access to “pro-life” insurance plans that would not cover the procedure.

The House vote is expected at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Rules Committee would have to meet 24 hours before the debate to prepare the bill for floor action, but Slaughter declined to say exactly when Rules would meet.

By allowing the Ellsworth language, House Democratic leaders hope to address the reluctance of anti-abortion Democrats to vote for the health bill.

Some of those lawmakers say they remain dissatisfied with the language, however.

Bart Stupak , D-Mich., may still oppose the Ellsworth language, potentially keeping the bill from passing. Stupak wants to bar any federally subsidized insurance plan from covering abortions, including any public plan set up to compete with private insurers.

The abortion issue remains one of the biggest headaches for Democratic leaders working to round up the 218 votes needed for passage of President Obama’s top legislative priority. All of those votes will have to come from within their own ranks; Republicans are expected to be united in opposition to the bill.