House Begins Walk-Through of Health Reform Package While House and Senate Democrats Await CBO Cost Estimates Due Out Thursday

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will start walking her rank-and-file members through major components of the final health care package in a meeting Thursday morning. The briefing comes after another long negotiating session with Senate Democrats and top White House officials in Pelosi’s Capitol office. Meanwhile, Democrats are watching out for two Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimates today on health overhaul measures, an update of the Senate-passed bill and a plan incorporating changes called for by President Obama. The two chambers are trying to resolve a long list of differences, both big and small, between their two bills and discussing changes made through a "reconciliation" process. All parties stated Wednesday that tremendous progress had been made, particularly with issues sensitive to House members who are going to be asked to vote on the Senate-passed version as well as a "side car" bill of changes (reconciliation bill) to deal with issues sensitive to the House in the Senate-passed bill. The changes expected in a reconciliation bill include those the President set out in his February 22nd $905 billion proposal and changes needed to gain House votes--while not upsetting the delicate balance needed to gain 51 votes in the Senate. President Barack Obama pressed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Wednesday to go further than Obama had previously disclosed to strip the final reform bill of narrow deals aimed at appeasing specific senators.