As lawmakers returned to work in the Congress on Monday, there were lots of rumblings about how and when Democrats would forge ahead on health care reform in the House, but no concrete answers on the details.
Instead, it was more of a waiting game, waiting to see when Democrats would unveil a Senate health reform measure and when Republicans might show their hand on what they want to offer in the House on and Senate.
Monday came and went with no big change in the health care reform landscape. In fact, around 80 members in the House didn't even show up for the few votes that were held on Monday evening.
You can see if your member was there at for the third and final vote of the night at http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll834.xml
As for progress, Democrats met behind closed doors Monday evening, still trying to gauge the changes needed in the bill in order to get 218 votes for the plan in the House.
We'll see if we get that "manager's amendment" today or not. Every hour that goes by without it, means that we are closer and closer to having debate over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Democrats chided House GOP Leader John Boehner for refusing to detail what plan he's going to offer as an alternative to the Democratic reform bill in the House.
Over in the Senate, both sides were using that same type of argument against the other. Democratic Leader Harry Reid is still waiting to put together his plan, as are Republicans.
Every day that Reid waits for answers from the Congressional Budget Office pushes this debate further and further into December, and maybe into the New Year.
