Talking Points Memo

Capuano, Yes

2010-03-21T00:27:15Z

Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) announces he'll vote 'yes' on Health Care Reform.

Sends email to constituents: "After careful review and absent any last minute changes on reconciliation, I will vote YES on health care reform. Although I am not happy with every aspect of this bill, I have come to the conclusion that the benefits for Massachusetts and the country outweigh the problems."

An Unexpected Flip

2010-03-20T22:16:30Z

Rep. Zack Space (D-OH), who voted for the House health care bill last fall, has announced that he will vote no on the Senate bill tomorrow. We're told that this wasn't a surprise to Speaker Pelosi but that she didn't release him to vote no either, as sometimes happens late in the game when the leadership knows it has enough votes and can spare some to protect vulnerable incumbents.

Surfacing The Ugly

2010-03-20T22:04:44Z

Our report from the Hill on "nigger" and "faggot" being hurled at black and gay lawmakers during this afternoon's tea party protests.

True Colors (Even Worse Than We Thought)

2010-03-20T20:46:02Z

It seems that ugly crowd of protestors harassing members of Congress in the Capitol complex this afternoon got even uglier than we thought. As noted earlier, in addition to menacing behavior toward multiple members of Congress, one protestor called Rep. Barney Frank a "faggot", a taunt greeted by laughter from fellow protestors.

We're now getting reports that other protestors yelled "nigger" at Rep. John Lewis (D-GA).

More shortly.

Late Update: Our account of the ugliness, from our two reporters on the Hill.

The Latest

2010-03-20T20:25:02Z

Our report on the final denouement of the "Slaughter Rule."

Presented By:

2010-03-20T20:25:02Z

Consequences

2010-03-20T19:59:35Z

Federal officials investigating vandalism incident at Rep. Slaughter's district office.

Obama at Dem Caucus Meeting

2010-03-20T19:41:40Z

Obama to press corps on entering Caucus meeting: "We're gonna get this done."

Running updates at our auto-updating Countdown to Reform Wire.

Late Update: Obama: "After a year of debate ... we're a day away." Reid: Health Care Reform will be "law in a matter of days."

Smoothing the Way

2010-03-20T19:37:28Z

It seems that the final decisions on how to structure the vote in the House came after Sen. Reid (D-NV) gave Steny Hoyer a letter signed by "more than 50" Democratic senators pledging support for the reconciliation package. More details here.

Menacing

2010-03-20T18:42:04Z

Things are getting pretty heated in the Capitol with crowds of anti-Reform/Tea Party activists going through the halls shouting slogans and epithets at Democratic members of Congress.

As our Brian Beutler reports, a few moments ago in the Longworth office building, a group swarmed a very calm looking Henry Waxman, as he got on the elevator, with shouts of "Kill the bill!" "You liar! You crook!"

Not long before, Rep. Barney Frank got an uglier version of the treatment. Just after Frank rounded a corner to leave the building, an older protestor yelled "Barney, you faggot." The surrounding crowd of protestors then erupted in laughter.

At one point, Capitol police officer threatened to throw a group of protestors out of the building but that only seemed to inflame them more; and apparently none were ejected.

Note that this was in the Longworth building, not the Capitol building proper. But I'm a bit surprised that this is being allowed to occur anywhere in the Capitol complex. From Brian's description it sounds like menacing.

Slaughter Rule Out, No Self-Executing Rule?

2010-03-20T18:22:52Z

Rep. Mel Watt just told our Brian Beutler that the whole "self-executing" rule (aka what the GOP was calling the "Slaughter Rule") thing is off. They'll vote on the rule, then the reconciliation bill and then the original Senate bill.

Emerging from a whip meeting amidst a swarm of Tea Partiers yelling "Kill the Bill", Watt told TPMDC: "There's gonna be three votes as I understand it: the rule, the reconciliation, and the Senate bill."

In the Rules Committee meeting, Dems are saying that no final decision has been made. But presumably Watt's statement means that is where this is going.

Latest Developments

2010-03-20T18:05:25Z

We've got a lot of fast moving developments on the abortion front over the last couple hours. Speaker Pelosi has said, seemingly once and for all, there's not going to be a separate vote on abortion. And that means telling Rep. Stupak it's over. They're moving on without him.

The latest news is a possible agreement to have President Obama issue an executive order reconfirming the existing restrictions on abortion in the bill. If they can swing it, the idea would be to provide more assurance of the durability of the restrictions for the pro-lifers without changing it in any material way for the pro-choice faction. Rep. Waxman and possibly Rep. DeGette seem open to the idea.

An Executive Order?

2010-03-20T17:41:19Z

We've got some breaking developments on the final abortion negotiations. See the latest in our Countdown to Reform Wire.

All Health Care, All The Time

2010-03-20T15:38:59Z

What to expect today.

Presented By:

2010-03-20T15:38:59Z

Stupak Cancels Presser

2010-03-20T15:30:30Z

We were expecting to hear from Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) at a Capitol Hill press conference at 11 ET, but the appearance has been postponed and not rescheduled, as last-minute negotiations on the abortion provisions in the health care bill continue.

While Stupak and his cohort of pro-life Dems press demands for stricter abortion language in the bill, a group of mostly female pro-choice Dems emerged grim-faced and tight-lipped from a meeting in Speaker Pelosi's office last night, where they were presumably expressing their concerns about the deal Pelosi is trying to strike with the Stupak crew.

Late Update: Pelosi told reporters this afternoon she will not hold a separate vote on abortion.

In Case You're Wondering

2010-03-20T13:00:58Z

Our team will be on through the weekend bringing you all the details on the final lap toward the big vote on Health Care Reform.

And for the very latest developments keep checking in to our auto-updating Countdown to Reform Wire.