Switcheroo

Rep. Ellsworth Confirms He'll Vote 'Yes' On Health Care

Jillian Rayfield | March 19, 2010, 5:37PM

Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)

Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), a pro-life Democrat who voted "yes" on the House health care bill but was undecided on the Senate bill, has released a statement announcing his support for the bill.

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Switcheroo

Dem Rep. Gordon Switches From 'No' To 'Yes' On Health Care

Ben Frumin | March 18, 2010, 5:09PM

Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN)

It's official: Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) is switching his health care vote from "no" to "yes."

That's a big pickup for Democrats -- Gordon is just the second Democrat who voted "no" on the House health care bill in November to say he'll vote "yes" on the Senate bill now. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) was the first switcher.

Gordon was a key target for Democratic leadership after announcing his retirement last fall. And Democrats still don't seem to have secured the 216 votes they need to pass health care reform -- so every pickup counts.

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Switcheroo

Kucinich Switches To Yes On Health Care

Laura Colarusso | March 17, 2010, 10:20AM

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) announced this morning that he will in fact vote for the Senate health care bill. Kucinich's switch was a major pickup for Democrats who are clinging to a razor thin majority on health care reform and have been struggling to find the votes to get it passed.

"This is not the bill I wanted to support," Kucinich said. "However after careful discussions with President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, my wife Elizabeth and friends, I decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation."

Kucinich originally voted no on the House version of the bill last fall, citing concerns the legislation didn't go far enough to help struggling Americans. He repeatedly said he couldn't support the Senate bill before his announcement today.

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