Both Sides of Health Reform Debate Preparing for Sunday Vote

Fasten your seat belts, it should be an interesting weekend as the House appears ready to vote on Sunday afternoon on the House healthcare reform package.

Democrats are closing in on the magic number of 216 votes, but because at least two dozen Democrats remained undecided, the total appears not to have been reached yet.

Also, whether Democrats will use the "deem and pass" method, which is a process that would let the House vote on a package of changes to the Senate healthcare reform bill, but not the Senate bill itself, has not been confirmed. But House Democrats were successful on Thursday in turning down attempts by Republicans to stop that process.

In a 222 to 203 vote, a resolution by former Democrat, Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL), to support a bill ensuring an up-or-down vote on the healthcare reform legislation was turned down. Later, the House voted 232 to 181 to table a measure from Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) that said—in reference to the deem and pass strategy—that the House disapproves of the "malfeasant manner in which the Democratic leadership has thereby discharged the duties of their offices."

As to why difficulties were arising over getting the necessary 216 votes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)said: "Every vote is a heavy lift. We have great diversity in our [Democratic] Caucus. We don't have a rubber stamp Congress or a rubber stamp caucus. ... Members want to see the figures, they want to see what the Senate will do. We like the dynamic in our Caucus."

GOP members remained adamant that they would not let the reform measures go through.

"Republicans in the House and Senate have worked together closely over the last year. We're going to continue to work closer together to do everything we can to make sure that this bill never, ever passes," said House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) at a joint Republican House and Senate briefing.

"Our plan is for the [reform legislation] not to come to the Senate. Our plan is for it to be defeated in the House in the next few days," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).