March Madness on Capitol Hill: The Health Care Reform Debate Goes Into the Home Stretch

It's almost unheard of for proceedings in Congress to be as exciting as the NCAA basketball tournament. But this weekend is a notable exception. Yesterday, the House Democratic leadership posted the (almost) final version of the health care reform bill online, and a vote is planned for Sunday afternoon. With just 48 hours to go, the Democrats are working feverishly to lock in the 216 votes required for passage. Current reports say that they still need half a dozen more.

As the struggle over health care reform heads into the home stretch, the New York Times has some excellent coverage: a story on the leadership's efforts to reach 216 votes; a fascinating story on how they decide which members' arms to twist and which to give a pass to; a story about how the Democrats have been able to ensure that the budgetary numbers turn out right, and finally, an interactive chart that shows the undecided members to watch on Sunday's vote.

For blow-by-blow coverage of the endgame, two of the best sources are the Times' Prescriptions blog and the TalkingPointsMemo Countdown to Reform Wire. (You can find links to both sites on the blog roll on the righthand side of this page.)