President Barack Obama and top congressional Democrats reported "significant progress" toward an agreement on a final health bill after negotiations at the White House that stretched for more than eight hours. The day of talks signaled the White House's drive to quickly pass a bill so it could shift its focus to other issues, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a joint statement, the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said they were "encouraged and energized" after making progress in bridging the remaining differences between the two healthcare bills passed late last year by the House and Senate.
