As of 5 p.m. Eastern time today, there are no significant updates to report. In monitoring news coverage, we have seen the following:
- Two key House members, Kildee (D-MI) and Kucinich (D-OH), announced their support for the final vote of the healthcare bill, bringing the House closer to the 216 votes needed to pass reform.
- The CBO still has not released the final score for the reconciliation bill; reports state they are crumbling under a firestorm of requests from members tweaking the bill.
- Constitutional questions are being raised about the so-called “Slaughter Rule,” which would allow the House to deem the Senate bill cleared without taking a direct vote.
- Mudslinging between the two parties continues, as national news outlets are still reporting news with mostly speculation and hype.