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Democratic Leadership Pushing for Final Health Care Reform Vote in the House; Midwest Facing Flood Warnings; March Madness Underway; Pope Benedict XVI Apologizes for Sexual Abuse in Ireland

Aired March 20, 2010 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there, everybody, from the CNN center. This is CNN Saturday morning for March 20th. Glad you could be here with us. I'm T.J. Holmes.

ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Abbi Boudreau. It's 10:00 in Atlanta, 9:00 a.m. in Oklahoma City and 7:00 a.m. for the people waking up in San Diego. Thanks for starting your day about us.

HOLMES: And this day has a lot happening. Right now the House of Representatives is meeting, many of them still trying to decide if they're going to vote for or against the health care reform bill.

We're taking a look at that bill. Also, how much it's going to cost. Also, who is voting for it, and we're talking to three representatives this morning, one who is voting for it, one against it, and one who is still undecided.

BOUDREAU: And a little deja vu in Moorhead, Minnesota, this morning where the Red River is expected to crest this weekend. That's where we find our Reynolds Wolf.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right, guys. I have come to you from Moorhead. Off in the distance you can find Fargo, North Dakota, and right between the two cities you can find the Red River. It's a river flowing northward that has escaped it's bank and is expected to rise to 37.5 feet overnight and into tomorrow, a major flood.

We're going to give you the latest coming up in just a few moments.

HOLMES: Thank you, Reynolds.

Our top story today and this weekend, health care reform, a real pressure cooker in Washington this weekend. The House is pushing toward a vote on the Senate version of the health care bill tomorrow. Our Brianna Keilar is at the capitol for us this morning.

Brianna, Democrats are in a meeting. You said this is not normally a rules committee hearing, that's not normally where you would be hanging out, but a lot of eyes are on it today. Explain to people why and what's going on as we move forward today.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the rules committee. They lay out the groundwork for how this vote is going to go tomorrow. We're expecting it to be tomorrow.

And T.J., there are nine Democrats and four Republicans -- and there are four Republicans, so I don't have to tell you who is going to prevail here. This is how it works. Whoever is in the majority, they prevail.

And we expect what they're going to do, we've been talking all week about their plan for laying out the vote, the house, T.J., has to vote on this right here. It's the Senate bill, right? And a lot of House Democrats don't like it. They don't like what's in here and it's not just because it's really heavy.

What they have done is they have proposed a bunch of changes, right, 153 pages, a little less. And this committee is basically saying we're not just going to vote, not just put Democrats in a tough spot of voting on this big bill they don't like. We're going to basically attach it to this thing so they can pass it as a package.

They can pass it with their changes. It's called deem and pass, and Republicans are giving them a really hard time. I'm going to put this down. I'm actually winded holding onto this. I have not gotten enough cardio covering health care for as long as I have. It's a little rough on me.

HOLMES: That's a good explanation though. It's a good visual explanation. It's hard to explain it to people, but that's it. You have a 2,000-page bill, you're adding this other thing to it, you're going to lump it all together and deem and pass it.

KEILAR: That's exactly right. This is what so many Republicans -- they have been raising a whole lot of rancor about this for a week because they say you're not even taking a direct vote on this Senate bill, and that doesn't seem on the up and up to us. And so we're going to certainly see them getting a lot more flak about that.

That's what's happening this hour as we watch all of the things going down on the Hill today.

HOLMES: Again, that was a great visual illustration at the expense of your back, but still onto the number 216. This is the magic number that's needed.

What happens if they can't get the 216? I want to ask you about maybe an update, because we had Representative Griffith with us, a Republican from Alabama a short time ago. He said whatever numbers he's looking at, he believes they have about 220 nos possibly. What's the update you're hearing on the Hill?

KEILAR: We don't have that number, that they have 220 nos. There are a lot of people who are undecided. Democratic leaders, their sources within the Democratic leadership say they have over 200, but they have to get to 216.

Let's talk about what's going to happen if this doesn't pass. Basically that's it. That would be it for health care reform. It would be so difficult for them to bring it up again in an election year.

But to get to that 216 votes, it's going to be such a squeaker. One of the main issues that's kind of holding it up right now, T.J., is this issue of abortion, because the House bill that passed really in a squeaker of a vote back in November had tougher abortion language than this massive Senate bill that I was just holding up.

And so what you have is some anti-abortion Democrats who say, no way, we are not on board without that tougher language. And we're going to be seeing in one hour Bart Stupak, he's really heading up these anti-abortion Democrats, he'll be holding a press conference laying out a resolution that he wants a vote on that he got back in November saying that we're going to toughen up the language.

Well, we have just talked literally in the last few minutes with some of the more liberal members who are for abortion rights walking through this hallway, and they say, no way. We will walk from this, we will scuttle this over this whole issue of abortion.

And this really is what's going down here just in the next hour, laying the groundwork for the environment that President Obama faces as he comes here at 3:00 to meet with House Democrats and also Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. And let's talk to Ed Henry over at the White House with more on this meeting.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Brianna. It's interesting because, as you know. this president has been getting actively engaged. He faced criticism earlier in the debate that he was not being hands-on.

Just this week we're told by top White House aides the president has had 64 contacts with some of those Democratic undecided members of Congress either through phone calls or one-on-one meetings. And his message is pretty simple.

It's basically, look, we have all heard the arguments pro and con, but at this point he believes his party should put politics aside regardless of how it's going to all play out in November and think about what he thinks is right for the American people.

In fact at a rally yesterday at George Mason University in northern Virginia, this is how he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What they like to talk about is the politics of the vote. What does this mean in November? What does it mean to the poll numbers? Is this more of an advantage for Democrats or Republicans? What's it going to mean for Obama? Will his presidency be crippled, or will he be the comeback kid?

(APPLAUSE)

That's what they like to talk about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Interesting that you heard the president there yesterday invoking the comeback kid, a nickname that was once used for Bill Clinton after the New Hampshire primary there in 1992. But using that analogy in the context of a health care debate might not work out so well since the Clinton '93 health care battle sort of all fell apart.

As Brianna was pointing out, this White House is closer than it's ever been to real historic health care reform. Nevertheless, there are many, many hurdles to go. This is not a done deal yet, T.J.

HOLMES: It's not at all, but it could be, some are saying, within the next 24 hours or so. Ed Henry, we're going to be talking to you plenty throughout the day. Good to see you. Thanks so much.

BOUDREAU: Let's get a quick look on where the health care reform vote stands this morning. Take a look. These are the House Democrats who have not declared how they will vote on the bill tomorrow. You can bet the lobbying for their votes is pretty intense.

The total number of Democratic no votes needed to kill the bill are 38. According to CNN's latest vote, there are currently 29 Democratic no votes, others still on the fence. Throughout the day, CNN's political teams are canvassing House members for any updates on these numbers.

Be sure to follow our special live coverage as the decision comes down to the wire all day tomorrow right here on CNN.

HOLMES: Health care not the only big story that we're keeping an eye on today. Just this morning we have watched some major developments unfold with a sex abuse scandal that's landed squarely at the Vatican's front door.

We now know new allegations are cropping up in six European countries. And as that develops, the Pope just a short time ago issued a letter of apology to abused victims in Ireland. Let me give you a quote from that letter. It says, "You are and have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry." The Pope there acknowledged church leadership made some mistakes.

I want to start our discussion right there with our Senior Vatican analyst John Allen joining us today from California. Good to have you here in the States. Good to see you. Let's talk about why the Pope had to make this move right now addressing directly the people and the victims in Ireland.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: Hey, T.J. Look, the reality is the sex abuse crisis is a global problem, but nowhere has the meltdown been more dramatic than in Ireland. You're talking about a country the total population of which is a little over 6 million, and you have 15,000 cases reported of people abused by Catholic personnel in that country.

I mean, by way of comparison, that's roughly the same number as in the United States and, of course, we have ten times the Catholic population here. So it's a colossal crisis. And obviously the Pope felt he needed to speak directly to the people of Ireland in the wake of that.

HOLMES: What are you hearing so far as far as support for what he did and maybe some criticism for this letter for maybe what wasn't in there? What are you hearing so far? I know reaction has to be coming in.

ALLEN: Yes. I would say, T.J., the reaction is mixed. On the one hand the letter does clearly address a couple long-standing criticisms of the church.

For one thing, I think a root question from the very beginning of this crisis has been simply does the Pope get it? Does he understand the gravity of the crisis? The letter would clearly suggest that he does.

Further, the Pope has called upon abuser priests to come clean and instructed bishops to cooperate with the civil authorities, and that, of course, addresses the criticism that the church somehow sees itself as above the law.

But on the other hand, we have also heard from victims' groups who are very disappointed with what's not in the letter. There's no new penalties for bishops who failed to clean up this mess, no clear repudiation of what critics would see as a practice of secrecy in the church.

And perhaps most tellingly, they will say, there is no admission of Vatican responsibility. That is, the Pope is rebuking priests and bishops but not at least in any direct way taking responsibility himself.

I think, T.J., it's a classic case where from an insider point of view, this is a historic admission by a Pope, the first papal document ever directly entirely addressing the sex abuse crisis. From an outsider point of view, however, a lot of people will point fingers at unfinished business.

HOLMES: John, we're talking about Ireland in the letter, and you have kind of laid out how difficult the situation has been there for years and years and years.

But we got all these other allegations that are popping up in at least six other European countries, including Germany. That's the Pope's native country.

Is there a worry at the Vatican that maybe this is getting a little too close to the man himself because some of these allegations are about time that -- make sure I'm being clear here. He's not accused of anything, but when he was there in Germany, another priest was accused of some sexual allegations.

ALLEN: Yes, that's right. I mean, the case is of a priest who comes from another diocese in Germany but who showed up in Munich during the time from May of '77 to February of '82 that then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, was in charge.

And the accusation is that then Cardinal Ratzinger failed to intervene when he should have in preventing this guy from committing other acts of abuse.

And, yes, there is deep concern in the Vatican that that lays the problem in some ways directly on the Pope's doorstep. I mean, that is that it's not just about the overall policies of the church, but it's about the judgment of the Pope when he was a diocesan bishop 30 years ago.

And I think further the fear is that this may not be an isolated case. Right now, T.J., there's an army of journalists and victims advocates combing through the records 30 years ago when the Pope was in Munich, trying to see if there were other such instances.

And if they come to light, that ultimately could call into question the Pope's moral authority to be able to lead the church out of this mess. I think that's the real fear.

HOLMES: John Allen, we appreciate having you and your expertise. Thanks so much. We'll talk to you again soon.

ALLEN: You bet, T.J.

HOLMES: It is first day of spring we're told, but Oklahoma is declaring a state of emergency because of a snowstorm that's coming in.

BOUDREAU: And then, of course, the rising waters. They're getting higher and higher, and people are very, very concerned.

HOLMES: Red River.

BOUDREAU: The Red River. Reynolds Wolf is there right now.

WOLF: I'm actually standing over parts of the Red River on a bridge that spans right between Moorhead, Minnesota, and at my back Fargo, North Dakota. The river expected to rise to 37.5 feet by late tonight and into tomorrow morning. We'll bring you the very latest coming up.

You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. We got an issue, the same issue we seem to have every year up around the Red River. Our Reynolds Wolf is up there for us right now. Reynolds, give us an idea here. We're talking about a million sandbags. Are those million sandbags going to do the trick and save these folks and their houses this time around?

WOLF: Yes, this time, T.J., so far so good. We haven't had any incidents of homes being flooded in either Moorhead, Minnesota, which is where we stand, or on the other side of the river back here in Fargo. So far so good. Let's be honest, as you mentioned, we had this issue last year. We have had four major floods here in just the past decade, really. So they do have this down to a science. They're fully prepared.

But the problem with that is you have to remember some of these dams, although they have been holding up pretty well, a lot of these levees, they can become porous, and if they happen to break then that changes everything altogether.

So you've got the Air National Guard has been looking not only from the air above and inspecting a lot of those levees on foot to make sure they remain strong.

Something else that's interesting to see -- take a look at this. Normally on a day like today in Moorhead, people might be headed out to the area mall. What you're seeing there is actually a parking deck. You see three layers, actually you see two because the bottom layer is submerged.

To give you an idea of how deep the water is, you see a stop sign there on one corner. CNN photojournalist Chris -- I don't know if we can see that over there. Way back in the distance you got a little bit of what appears to be like a circus tent. That's actually a Viking ship, an old Viking ship that's set up there.

Now, Chris -- I have Chris Davis jumping through all kinds of hoops. Something else I want to show you T.J. is over here. Look at all this traffic. One thing that's good is last year we didn't have any traffic cross this bridge because the amount of water that was actually hitting the sides of this.

But one of the big issues we have, Chris, if you can panel off through the traffic -- folks bear with me at home bear with me -- you can see underneath this bridge where on the other side it says 14 feet 3 inches, but below that a lot of ice.

One of the big dangers you have with the bridges is you have these big pieces of ice that come up river and can hit the structure and can compromise things a little bit. So again, it's going to be kind of a scary prospect until the water begins to recede, expecting to top out around 37.5 feet later today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

BOUDREAU: And coming up next, we'll have today's top stories.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: If you haven't received your census form in the mail just yet, you could be getting it any day now. There are a lot of myths out there scaring people away from filling this out.

BOUDREAU: Absolutely. And our Josh Levs is here to give us the facts. Josh, what are the big myths?

JOHN LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are a bunch of them. Have you gotten your forms yet?

BOUDREAU: Yes.

LEVS: You have?

BOUDREAU: Did you get it?

HOLMES: I think I got it and I tossed it to the side. Sorry, Census Bureau.

(LAUGHTER)

LEVS: We were talking about it on the team. Everybody has gotten them so far except me, and don't know what the deal is with that.

Let's just go straight to some of the myths that I want you to take a look at here. There's a bunch of places online that are listing them. The Seattle government Web site is one of them talking about the census myths.

One of the most popular myths is it's not OK to fill it out. Actually by law you are required to fill it out. There's another myth it's only for citizens. One thing the census does that helps the country is it looks at everyone who is living in the United States at the moment that you're filling it out.

Also, they say it really will help you. There's this myth that it won't. One way it helps you is that these figures are used to determine all sorts of things you get in your district, Congressional representation, federal funding, sometimes community services, sometimes worth hundreds of billions. It does help you by helping your area.

Two more myths I want you to see. That's again from one of these government websites. Seattle.gov is pointing this out. There's a really popular myth. A lot of people believe Immigration and Naturalization Services will get this information about you or that your landlord will.

In fact, I just learned this, it is actually illegal for any government agency to access your census information outside of the census for 72 years. They can't even see it. Even the courts can't get it, law enforcement can't get it.

And if anyone who comes to your house and a census worker ever shares your information, they face a fine and go to jail.

Finally, maybe the most popular myth is that the form is long and packed with personal questions and the way to combat that is to take a look at the website I got behind me. First of all, if you have your form, you can see there's only ten questions on it.

But zoom into the screen right here. I want you to see what's going on. This is a sample form they put up at census.gov. I just linked this to my Facebook page. There's actually an interactive version, so you go down here, you just click on any one of the ten questions and it tells you all about it.

It takes about two minutes to take a look at what all the questions will be if you haven't gotten yours yet, basically very simple information -- name, age, gender, how many people are living in the home, some things like that, all that there at census.gov.

To try to get the word out about this, they have been putting up these huge images of this census form. Let's show one of the photos we got. They've been bringing it to Times Square, Chicago, Phoenix. It's traveling around. They're really trying to get the word out. I have everything linked for you on my Facebook page.

So Abbie, T.J., there you go. Hopefully some of the myths go away and people get encouraged to actually fill out the form and you get those community services.

BOUDREAU: Wait a second. Do you know how much they're actually spending on all those ads?

LEVS: A lot. Here is the thing. The government is kind of fighting this image about how much money is being spent on those ads. They're saying $1 per person in the country. So it's more than $300 million is being spent on advertising.

That said, they say it's worth it, because they actually spend tens of millions of dollars chasing after people who don't fill out the forms. So in the end they're saying the advertising dollars is saving money later on. That's their argument. We'll see how it plays out.

BOUDREAU: Well, OK, thanks so much, Josh.

HOLMES: The public school system may be shuttering dozens of schools in Detroit now.

BOUDREAU: But some schools are excelling and serve as a model for districts around the count. We'll show you a prime example.

Buzzer beaters and brackets, some crazy march madness.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, we're down to 32 now from 64. It will be sweet 16 before the weekend is out. March madness is in full swing. The second round of the NCAA tournament ready to tip off a little later today.

While you're worried about upsets and whatnot, your company might be worried about how you being into this tournament is upsetting their bottom line. I want to bring in our business and sports analyst Rick Caro. Rick, it's amazing to hear how much company's bottom lines are being affected by this tournament.

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Here's the nature of the study -- 58 million of us spending 20 minutes away from productivity, and that's just the first week. That's nearly $2 billion. But, T.J., on the other hand, there's a study that says a happy worker is a productive worker, so let's bring it on.

HOLMES: I wonder what the companies would actually prefer, a happy worker or an upset worker who is actually getting some work done? Companies don't mess around with this stuff when it comes to these office pools. Some of these pools they have big money in them. You could be fired for this stuff.

HORROW: Yes, you can, and there's also a prohibition on many of these companies against gambling even if it's just water cooler conversation. So everybody does it and some people actually don't get away with it.

HOLMES: All right, now, you have a bracket here, and we're not -- ladies and gentlemen, we want to make it clear we're not just showing his bracket because you want to see how good he is at picking teams.

We're going to put up your Midwest region. A lot of people look at this and scratch their heads and say Ohio State, Kansas -- no, no, no. What this shows here, Rick, and you explain as well, these are the teams -- if you were putting together the best business bracket, this would be it. Your Midwest bracket has Ohio State in the final four. Why?

HORROW: Why -- because they make more money than anybody else.

Here is the thing. There were 32 games played Thursday and Friday, 17 of the highest revenue schools won, but 15 lost. And, of course, of the final four that I predicted based on this business bracket, three of those teams are already out. Here is what that means. Money is great, but it doesn't always buy you happiness, especially on the court.

HOLMES: Now, we have Florida here as the other, and this is a major school, big SCC school. If the NCAA had their way, is this how they would fill out their bracket when it comes to television ratings and things?

HORROW: Let's remember, the TV contracts in '82 when the big ones started pay $60 million in the NCAA. Now they get over half a billion dollars. So the NCAA is clearly driven by TV. It filters down to these schools. But not so fast. Those schools don't end up in the final four. Three of the four are already out.

HOLMES: I'll show one more here, your other bracket, at least the east region. Texas, we know that is a big money school -- and we just lost our big money guy, our Rick Horrow. We'll get him back to talk about his bracket a little later. But for right now, a quick break and we are right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOUDREAU: The good old days when "Schoolhouse Rock" taught kids how a bill becomes a law. If only the health care reform measure was as easy to explain, but it's not, though. We all know that. Lawmakers have until tomorrow to decide how they feel about the president's health care bill. And a short while ago we spoke with three lawmakers who have three very different opinions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH, (D) OHIO: I want to arrive at an America some day that will have singer payer and a not-for-profit system. That's not what this bill is about. One thing for sure, if this bill goes down, there will be no opportunity to have any discussion about any kind of health care options in the immediate future in this country.

REP. PARKER GRIFFITH, (R) ALABAMA: I think Congressman Kucinich is a brilliant man, but I think that he's had a lapse. I don't think that's a reason to vote for the bill, so you can keep the conversation going. You can keep the conversation going without making this bill law.

REP. HENRY CUELLAR, (D) TEXAS: It might be a managers' amendment. So there might be a couple more amendments that might come out and I want to make sure that I'm aware of any other changes they might add at the last minute.

HOLMES: It sounds like you're leaning yes. I don't want to put those words in your mouth. Is that fair to say? Would you say that you're leaning yes?

CUELLAR: It would be fair to say that I'm leaning that direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOUDREAU: Well, 216 votes are needed to pass or defeat this legislation. So where are we on the count? Earlier we asked CNN radio's Lisa Desjardin about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA DESJARDIN, CNN RADIO CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: Neither side is declaring victory at this point. It is awfully close. I think, T.J., today is make or break. Just like Brianna Keilar has been telling you, we at CNN have counted 29 or 30 no votes. That 30th vote is someone that may change, but 29 or 30 nos. That means Democrats can only afford seven more of their members to jump ship, that out of two dozen undecideds. It's very tight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOUDREAU: So CNN is counting the votes. Follow our special live coverage as the decision landmark health care legislation comes down to the wire all day tomorrow right here on CNN.

Some travel troubles -- if you're heading south of the border, you may need to be on the lookout.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOUDREAU: It's a story that made national headlines. Schools across the country are facing huge budget deficits. Kansas City recently announced its plan to close 26 public schools. And just this week Detroit followed suit with a proposal to shut down 45 schools.

But as Allan Chernoff reports, there are some school success stories in Detroit that could be used as a model for districts around the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Violin lessons for everyone begin in third grade. Mandarin Chinese is mandatory beginning in kindergarten, and individualized computer challenges reinforce what's taught in the classroom.

In a city plagued with academic underachievement, Cornerstone schools, one private and two charter schools that are part of the public system, are overachievers. Students on average test a year above grade level, and 95 percent go on to graduate high school.

Students here come with no special advantages. Half live below the poverty line. Fourth grader Kaitlyn Rogers recently transferred from public schools to Cornerstone.

KAITLYNN ROGERS, CORNERSTONE 4TH GRADER: At my old school, nobody really cared. They fell asleep in the classroom.

CHERNOFF: At Cornerstone students, teachers, and parents care enough that the school year is 11 months long.

ROGERS: Yes, only get one month of summer vacation.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Does that bother you?

ROGERS: Not really when you get the chance to learn about the school because it's actually fun at the school. It's like we're actually on vacation.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Easy to see why with afterschool activities like fencing.

FREDERICKA HARDEWAY, KAITLYNN'S MOTHER: Cornerstone to me embodies what education should be, you get the reading, math, but in addition to that you're learning how to be a well-rounded person. You know, how to love each other, how to get along.

CHERNOFF: Cornerstone also motivates children to achieve. This hallway is decorated with college banners so every day as students walk into the classroom, they see that goal of a college education.

Cornerstone constantly assesses students but doesn't teach to test like many public schools that focus on standardized exams.

ERNESTINE SANDERS, PRESIDENT, CORNERSTONE SCHOOLS: We need to know about every individual student, what makes that student tick, what makes that student learn, what are the challenges that that student is facing?

CHERNOFF: Teachers are so committed they work here even though many earn less than they could in public school. Parents or guardians also must make a commitment to be involved in their child's education.

CLARK DURANT, FOUNDER, CORNERSTONE SCHOOLS: We say that you have a responsibility to not just the student. We expect you to be at parent-teacher meetings, we expect you to see a child's homework gets done.

CHERNOFF: Witnessing academic success at cornerstone involves three Cs, a culture of education, commitment to learning, and community, a nurturing environment embracing patients and professionals willing to mentor the children.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, Detroit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Returning to our top story this morning. We told you this could be the weekend. We could see the Senate health care bill that they passed on Christmas Eve, you may remember that, we may see that get passed this weekend by the House.

This live picture we're showing you on the left is of the House rules committee. This is not a room, a place, a meeting we would normally show you, but it's a big deal this weekend because they are laying out the plan, the rules for how the vote is going to go tomorrow.

They're essentially, the reconciliation bill, that package of fixes, they're going to approve how this is all going to go about being done tomorrow, and the vote the we will see, and it's expected to see tomorrow at some point. So they are working this weekend.

For a lot of these lawmakers, many of them still have not made up their minds. We have some undeclared, but some of them admit they're not just undeclared, they're still undecided, trying to make up their minds about how they're going to vote.

And something that many could be factoring in is whether or not they'll have a job if they make a yes vote on this bill. Our Dana Bash with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: T.J., this health care vote is difficult for many Democrats, but it is especially true for the freshmen who helped give House Democrats their huge majority by winning Republican districts, and for them it is nothing short of their jobs that are on the line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning, Representative Mary Jo Kilroy's office. OK. I can definitely pass the message along to the Congresswoman for you. Could I get your name and address, please?

BASH: You're a new member of congress. You're from the swing district in the swing state. There's a lot of pressure on you politically and you could lose your seat over that.

REP. MARY JO KILROY, (D) OHIO: When I campaigned for my seat, I said that I was going to work for jobs for our community, that I was going to help work to improve our economy, that I understood the many people who are just a pink slip away from losing their health insurance.

BASH: Tom Perriello is another freshman Democrat who voted for the health care bill in of November and got pounded for it in his conservative Virginia district. Still, on a conference call here, he said he would vote yes again.

REP. TOM PERRIELLO, (D) VIRGINIA: I think at the end of the day this is vital for the working families of our district, for the hospitals and clinics, for the doctors and nurses of our district.

BASH: Freshman Congressman John Botieri is from a Republican leaning district in Ohio who voted no on health care in November but revealed he's switching to yes.

REP. JOHN BOCCIERI, (D) OHIO: A lot of people are telling me this decision could cost me my job. The pressure I felt was back in the district from these families who called me and who had written to me, who had told me they want me to be with them and not the insurance companies.

BASH: How much angst do these freshman Democrats have? We asked Dina Titus, who barely won her seat, and already has an uphill battle to get reelected.

(on camera): How much pressure are you feeling back home? You're one of those Democrats who is in a pretty tough position --

REP. DINA TITUS, (D) NEVADA: We're getting lots of phone calls and there's about $1 million worth of TV ads running against it.

BASH: Are you worried about losing your seat?

TITUS: I think there are more important things than my reelection, and the health of people in this country would certainly be one of those.

BASH: Titus later said she's voting for the health care bill again. But not all vulnerable Democrats, freshman or otherwise, are breaking for the bill. In fact, Jason Altmire, who is from a swing district in Pennsylvania and voted no on health care in November, publicly considered voting yes this time. But he's decided he is once again a nay.

And there are plenty of other Democrats in tough reelection battles this year who are undeclared, but they don't want to talk about it -- T.J.? (END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Thanks to our Dana Bash this morning.

BOUDREAU: This is a great story. This woman, she definitely delivers. A woman going the extra mile by land, air, and sea to bring medical supplies to a remote area of the world.

HOLMES: We'll introduce you to our hero of the week. Stay here.

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HOLMES: This is the weekend. They are working this weekend, expecting to see a vote tomorrow on the Senate version of health care legislation. A live picture of Capitol Hill -- they are working this weekend.

Still, a lot of undeclared and undecideds out there. They're trying to get to the magic number of 216 on either side, yes or no. If it gets to 216, that was going to make the difference of whether or not this legislation passes or it fails.

That means 38 Democrats, if they join in on the nos, that means the legislation will be defeated. By last count 29 Democrats planned to vote no.

Well, the Pope issued a letter today, this is an update to the priest sex abuse scandal that has rocked Ireland. Just a few hours ago the Pope apologized for the harm caused and rebuked Irish bishops for "grave errors of judgment." Many victims are accusing the church of covering up years of abuse. The Pope is ordering a Vatican investigation into the Irish church.

Also, air travelers across the world could be feeling the effects of a labor strike. British Airways canceling more than 1,000 flights today after a walkout by the airline's cabin crews. Last ditch talks collapsed last night between the airline and the union.

BOUDREAU: Travel troubles in Mexico. A surge in violence has prompting a warning by U.S. officials who say certain spots are too dangerous for tourists.

Rafael Romo is "On the Go."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Mexico is a Mecca for students looking to enjoy some sun and sand during spring break, but the U.S. State Department's travel warning to areas of Mexico along the U.S. border is casting a shadow.

MICHELLE BERNIER-TOTH, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: Right now we are recommending that people defer nonessential travel, but, of course, everybody will determine what is essential or not.

ROMO: A rise in drug-related violence is the reason for the warning. Only the northern part of the country is affected by the warning away from the popular resort areas. Acapulco is not in the travel warning area, but last weekend 24 people were killed in drug violence in and around the resort area. None were tourists.

BERNIER-TOTH: We're just cautioning people about the border area, but many people travel to other places in Mexico. The popular beach resorts for example are a big draw, especially at this time of the year.

And what we caution people there are to take the same sorts of common sense precautions that they should take whenever they travel abroad. Just be sensible, be safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We are maybe about 24 hours away from a vote on health care reform, and still many lawmakers, they are taking every last minute to make up their minds. There are plenty out there who are still undecided and undeclared as well, trying to figure out if they're going to vote for or against this health care legislation.

Take a look at what's happening right now. This is inside the House rules committee. They're meeting right now. Again, normally like our reporter said earlier, they don't even have enough space in there to accommodate so many reporters because most don't usually cover this committee.

But everybody is in there today because that committee is where they are going to decide how the vote is going to play out tomorrow.

Also, anti-abortion rights Democrats are planning a news conference around 11:00 at the top of the hour here. So we could be just a few minutes away. We will certainly be monitoring that.

And then mid-afternoon the president going to Capitol Hill. He's going to be making another pitch, maybe rallying the troops, if you will, to Democrats trying to get to that magic number of 216 to pass the legislation.

Let's give you a look here at maybe some of the Democrats the president is going to be talking to. These are the Democrats we're talking about who have not yet declared how they will vote on the bill tomorrow.

The total number of Democratic no votes needed to kill that bill is 38. By CNN's latest count there are 29 Democratic no votes. Others remain uncertain right now. Of course, throughout the day CNN's political and capital bureau staffs canvassing the House members for any updates of those numbers.

BOUDREAU: We know how much it's expected to cost, but where will the money come from to pay for health care reform? The Congressional Budget Office puts the estimated price tag at $940 billion over ten years. Much of that would come from the increase on the Medicare tax on high income households.

For the first time a tax could be applied to investment income as well as wages. Money would also come from a tax on high cost medical plans, but that would be delayed until 2018. Another source -- penalties for those who don't get health insurance coverage.

CNN, of course, is counting the votes. Follow our special live coverage as the decision comes down to the wire all day tomorrow right here on CNN.

HOLMES: Well, she used to be a tour guide in the Amazon jungle until a grim realization put her on a new path. Today she provides hope and medical care for a native people plagued with health problems. Patty Webster, our hero of the week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTY WEBSTER, CNN HERO: For someone who goes to the Amazon on a vacation, you see the beauty. It's easy to overlook the realities of what people are living there.

I was a guide leading adventure tourists around. As time went on I just saw real suffering going on. People were very sick. People would actually sit around my mosquito net waiting for me to wake up to help them with a sick child.

It was frightening to me because if they were depending on me for health care. We were all going to die because I certainly had no medical training at all.

I had to involve myself more. It was either stay and do something or leave.

My name is Patty Webster, and I bring down medical teams into the Amazon jungle.

We work in so many diverse areas where the ministry of health doesn't get to, so we often take extreme measures to get out to places. And some of these areas, many of them would never see a doctor.

You work morning to night, and you have so many people, you want to make sure everybody gets treated. This is our 17th year. We are seeing more patients, providing more services. Anything I can offer them that is going to help them, it's just a real gift. It certainly wasn't what I had planned for my life, but you can't go against these forces of nature.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: To nominate someone you think is changing the world, go to CNN.com/heroes.

The NEWSROOM continues next hour. Our continuing coverage of the final hours leading up to the health care vote. BOUDREAU: Right. And then at noon an extraordinary close-up look at "Life." The new series premieres on discovery tonight. We'll talk with one of the photographers who shot this amazing video. I cannot wait to see it in HD. It's going to be amazing.

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