With only 24 hours to go before the big health reform vote, the White House and Dem leaders say they’re within striking distance of the magic 216 needed to pass it in the House vote on Sunday.
Making Obama’s job a lot harder is the stubborn opposition — or vacillation — of Southern Democrats. So far, 13 of the 26 Democrats who are expected to vote against the bill tomorrow hail from Southern states.
And while wavering Dems from other parts of the country have been slowing coming into the “yes” column, key Southern representatives have refused to budge, either solidifying their “nay” stance or refusing to commit.
Here’s the latest news on where 20 key members of the Southern delegation stand (bold = most recent updates; “voted” = vote on last year’s House health bill):
| Representative | Voted | The Latest | The Buzz |
| Barrow, J (GA) | No | No (AJC, 3/19) | Progs ask: In a Dem-leaning district, why? |
| Berry, M (AR) | Yes | Undecided (NYT, 3/20) | Hinges on abortion compromise; retirement makes vote easier |
| Boucher, R (VA) | No | Undecided (T-N, 3/20) | Medicare reimbursement is the sticking point |
| Bright, B (AL) | No | No (MA, 3/20) | “We cannot afford the massive cost” |
| Boyd, A (FL) | No | Yes (WaPo, 3/19) | “This is good policy” |
| Chandler, B (KY) | No | No (LCJ, 3/20) | Won last election by +30 points |
| Childers, T (MS) | No | No (MCL, 3/20) | “Deeply concerned” about cost; abortion |
| Cuellar, H (TX) | Yes | Yes (WaPo , 3/20) | Released Sat statement saying “yes” |
| Davis, A (AL) | No | No (MA, 3/20) | Eyes on guv race; Black Caucus angry |
| Davis, L (TN) | No | No (Twitter, 3/21) | Various sources saying he’s a no |
| Edwards, C (TX) | No | No (DMN, 3/18) | Worried about his “political future” |
| Kissell, L (NC) | No | No (WRAL, 3/20) | Netroots favorite now not so popular |
| Kosmas, S (FL) | No | Yes (WaPo, 3/19) | One of 2 big Fla pickups for White House |
| Marshall, J (GA) | No | No (AJC, 3/19) | Always a long shot |
| Mollohan, A (WV) | Yes | Undecided (NYT, 3/19) | Dems hopeful |
| Nye, G (VA) | No | No (Hill, 3/21) | One of 2 big Saturday defections |
| Ortiz, S (TX) | Yes | Likely Yes (Not official, but Dems counting on a yes | |
| Perriello, T (VA) | Yes | Yes (WaPo, 3/19) | Another big Friday pick-up |
| Rahall, N (WV) | Yes | Undecided (CG, 3/19) | Abortion making him a tough get |
| Tanner, J (TN) | No | No (Twitter, 3/21) | Various sources saying he’s a no |
For more news, check out The New York Times, The Huffington Post or Firedoglake for the latest whip counts.
UPDATES 3/20: The Hill says it’s down to 20 key House votes as of 2:25 pm 3/20. They include: Berry (AR), Boucher (VA), Rahall (WV), Cuellar (TX), Davis (TN), Tanner (TN), Mollohan (WV), Nye (VA), Rodriguez (TX). That’s nine Southerners on a list of 20.
* 4pm — Cuellar is now a “yes.
UPDATES 3/21: