hello, everyone. don lemon here. we're following it all. the nation's attention on washington right now. and we all know why. we're talking about health care reform. we have got every bit of it covered for you. and many say mr. obama's presidency riding on this, that is one reason our senior white house correspondent ed henry is live at the white house for us. without a doubt there say lot of arm twisting, a lot of horse trading and cajoling going on capitol hill. that's where we find our senior congressional correspondent dana bash. and how will this play in peoria, or madison or the rest of america? mark preston is standing by in our washington bureau. before we talk it our player, here is what most people want to know. democrats need 216 votes to pass the reform bill. and it is going to really come

down to the wire. republicans need 38 democrats to cross the aisle. and vote with them to kill the bill. so far, this according to cnn's reporting, 30 said they'll do that, they'll do that. if eight more dems cross the aisle, the bill will fail. let's bring in dana bash and ed henry. you see them standing there, they have been busy all day. you'll be busy later on. i know you have to go to the gridiron dinner, you're all over the place. i want to talk to you first, ed. the president came out just a short time ago, and it almost sounded in some ways like a victory speech, but got to be very careful. let's listen to the president and then we'll talk about it. >> don't do it for me. don't do it for the democratic party. do it for american people. they're the ones who are looking for action right now. >> okay, so listen, we just said 38-30.

that number just changed. that just changed before the president spoke. did this help at all? is it too soon or do you think the person that came to the yes side was wavering anyway? >> this is fast and furious and there are yeses and noes coming up practically every few minutes. i think it was very clear that this was a powerful closing argument. i think even the president's republican critics would acknowledge that after some months of stumbling along and not really finding his voice on this, he really pulled it all together here at the end. i was struck by a number of things. first of all, the fact that he, you're right, he doesn't want to have a victory dance but by the same token for the first time, i heard this no longer being a hypothetical. i heard, essentially, we're going to make history in the next 24 hours when i sign this bill. he's now talking like it is going to be a done deal. and secondly, i was struck by the fact that how quickly he's now trying to essentially write the campaign playbook for his democratic parties who are nervous about those midterms if they vote yes, how are they going to sell this, by basically

trying to pivot from the left to the center and saying very directly and aggressively, i heard the attacks about government takeovers and liberalism, but this is a middle of the road bill, still a tough sale to the tea party activists and others, but this is his case, don. >> i want to stay on the president real quickly here to talk about what he just said a moment ago. the president obviously had a big trip planned, ed, not going to take that trip now. and is out today as if he's on a campaign stomp really selling this to the american people. people have said his credibility is riding on that. i don't know if that's true. but if you look at what's happening now, him come out today, you standing there today at the white house on the front lawn, it may come down to that, that may be true. >> reporter: there is no doubt. and when the president was casting this in historical terms and quoting abraham lincoln about i'm not bound to win, but i'm bound to be true, casting it in those term and being also, i should note, very aggressive about saying, if you get this done, this will be the biggest

doe midwest ace domestic achievement since medicare, comparing himself essentially to lyndon johnson and praising speaker pelosi as they struggle to finish this. he's being direct and bold about selling this and selling it hard, because, yes, the stakes are so enormous. if it goes down, his presidency is going to be in desperate shape and that's why he can see the finish line. they're not quite there yet, but he can finally see the finish line and he's selling this hard, don. >> dana bash is there as well. dana, i want to talk to you. i won't pretend to know everything. you're the experts so transparency here. just moments ago the president came out and said this, when is last time you saw him doing this on a weekend? and also not going on a trip he's supposed to be going on. dana, listen to this and you and i will talk after. >> this is one of those times where you can honestly say to yourself, dog gone it, this is exactly why i came here.

>> dana bash, there you go. so let's talk about that, how that is affecting the voting, what you're seeing behind the scenes there on capitol hill. >> reporter: that is absolutely what many of these lawmakers are grappling with, that very question, the president knows that very well. the question of whether or not this is something that they need to do, vote for health care reform. many of them -- most of these democrats campaign on health care reform, maybe not the specific details of what is in this legislation, but campaigned on tackling the health care issue in this country. so there is no question in talking to so many lawmakers, many of them who were undecided, and have decided in the last 24 to 48 hours that this is a very, very tough vote, especially for the most vulnerable democrats. and you heard the president hit that head on in so many different ways, calling out specific members. he knows they could lose their jobs over this, and talking about the fact that he knows that some of them will -- may

not think their constituents want them to do this, but perhaps this is what they need to do for the conscience and from their perspective for history. >> and, dana, two questions. first i want to ask you real quickly because we have been sitting here talking about the president and the people who are for this bill, right? what about the opposition? eric cantor has been explicit in talking about his intentions of this, john boehner, the same thing. what is the opposition doing behind the scenes? they're trying to get no votes, right? >> reporter: they're trying to get no votes. look, i guess maybe it does bear repeating what we're talking about is the president and democratic leaders just trying to corral fellow democrats. we do not expect at this point any republicans even in consideration to vote for this at this time. we're just talking about democrats. what is the opposition doing? well, it is one thing when you talk about the actual lawmaker. they have been making their case all week long for months and months and months, why they believe this is the wrong thing to do. >> but is it effective? is their plan effective? the president is saying, you see

him speaking and giving -- what seems to be a heart felt speech, calling people out, talking about john bacera, saying it is great he came around, and people like dennis kucinich in that speech. i would have expected to hear an opposition if not a republican response, to that, didn't hear it. i'm wondering is it effective or just they're working so much behind the scenes that you don't see what they're doing? >> reporter: i'm not sure what is going on the house floor now but i would not be surprised if we're hearing -- if republicans have come out on the house floor, they have been doing it all week long. they're being very, very vocal. they had a press conference earlier today about their opposition, their specific reasons why. and the reason why many democrats think that they have been effective in their opposition is because their message is simple, very simple. whether it is right or wrong, it is simple, they believe as to too big and too much government from their perspective intervention in the health care system. but i want to tell you one other thing -- >> are you going to talk about the protests right now? i'm getting information about that. is it true that john lewis was called the "n" word during one

of these protests? >> reporter: it is true. that's what i wanted to tell you, don. what has been going on here today is -- i think we have tape, lawmakers have been going back and forth, beautiful day here in washington, so they have been going back and forth outside from the capitol to their offices and greeted by protesters, very loud protesters. john lewis, you saw the picture of him there, he is a civil rights icon. most people know that. he's somebody who marched in selma in the early '60s. he told ted barrett that some of the protesters were hurling racial slurs at him. the "n" word in particular. there was another incident we witnessed inside one of the house office buildings, barney frank, an openly gay congressman from massachusetts, the protesters were screaming kill the bill and threw in a slur toward him using -- talking about his sexuality. so it has really escalated. some of the thing we saw over the summer, the town halls, guess what the town halls came in a very big way on one side of

the capitol, but it was just a fascinating, fascinating thing to watch. this obviously is pretty extreme but even beyond that, fascinating thing to watch, to watch the members go back and forth as they were coming from the capitol and you heard -- saw these people just screaming at them, kill the bill. they can't avoid it. >> that's unfortunate that is happening. listen, i've got to ask ed henry this or maybe dana. i'm talking to people and we do this every day, you guys more than i do, and we say this is it, this is finally it, most people i know don't really believe it. they think it is going to go on next week, next month and this is going to continue, so, take us through that. the average viewer, what should i know if i'm sitting at home, is this really it and what does this mean for me? >> reporter: it will go on next week and this is an important thing to note. if the house leadership is right, as steny hoyer says, that they believe they have the votes, tomorrow, let's start with tomorrow, let me show you, i think we have a graphic of what -- >> the president said 24 hours,

he said 24 hours from now there will be a vote. >> reporter: right. that will happen tomorrow. we know that. here is what we can expect. i believe we have a graphic. what we can expect is about 1:00 the house is going to come in. they're going to have a debate, and a vote on a procedural measure. then they're going to have a vote on the package of changes, compromises to the senate health care bill. and then finally they will have a vote on the senate health care bill. when the senate health care bill is passed, it is supposed to go to the president and he is supposed to sign it. at that point, at least the crux of this health care legislation, will be the law of the land. that will happen tomorrow. but you mentioned next week this is important, it is not going to be over. the united states senate still has to act on that package of changes. they're doing that through the process we have been talking about known as reconciliation, to pass it with just a simple majority. they're going to start that process next week. it is going to be a long process, it is going to be very interesting to work them -- to watch them work the

parliamentarian and find out lots of ways to deal with this. it is going to be very tricky for them to maneuver to get this passed. but they hope in the senate, they hope to finish it completely by the end of next week. >> this is a great conversation. and i want to, you know, we're seeing the capital there. scottie i'm going to bring in ed henry and give him the last word on this as we continue this really developing story. and the president said 24 hours from now we'll have a vote. who knows what takes place between now and then. we have been seeing the protests, dana has been talking about that. representative john lewis apparently allegedly call eed t "n" word during one of those protests. if i'm at home and cnn is saying this is it, this is it, so what is the bottom line? is this really it and is this going to go on next week, next month? why should the american people pay attention to what is happening within the next 24

hours, from your view at the white house? >> reporter: well, as dana noted, it is going to go on for at least several days if not a week to get it through the senate, if they can do that. but in terms of being pregnant for 13 months, if you're the president, the country has been pregnant on this for 70, 80 years, decades and decades in the making. and robert gibbs has been direct as saying as they face these delays, another day, another week is going to be just fine if at the end they can get it done. i think the bottom line that people should take away is that this is about to clear, it appears, a very historic hurdle. if this gets through the house, it is one step closer to being probably the biggest domestic achievement as he suggested since medicare. hard to find something else to compare. nevertheless, as dana was pointing out you still have to wait for it to go through the senate. remember, if just -- if there is one change in the senate, to that fix it bill, the reconciliation piece of it, and say one provision is struck out by these various republican

challenges, then that is not the same bill that the house is passing, if they pass it, tomorrow. and then what eventually passes through the senate has to come back to the house. so it -- >> you confused me. >> reporter: i don't want to lie. it could go on for a while. but i do think this president, the key is, he finally can see the finish line. he hasn't been able to see it. it has been a long, drawn out debate. but they, here at the white house, finally think they see it. >> this is -- maybe the way to cap it is that this is the moment that is sort of -- that will foreshadow what happens next with all of this, as it lends to republicans, democrats and especially the president of the united states, what happens in the next 24 hours changes whatever will happen next and however long we will be talking about it. great conversation. thank you very much. dana bash and ed henry doing a great job. we'll talk to them a little bit later. ed is going to the gridiron dinner, he'll do a little live conversation with us later on. we have much more news, we're

following all this. we're following everything that is happening. you saw the capitol there live, that's where it is happening. dana bash is stationed inside of there, she's in capitol hill, behind the walls of congress, and talking about the cajoling and wrangling, what is going on here. the back and forth with noes and yeses, it changes, it seems, from moment to moment. it is like the ncaa tournament and that would be your score of your bracket card right there. we're going to do that at 10:00 to see what happens. it is saturday, we'll have a little fun with it, but bring you the serious news. let's get back to the debate here. the fate of this bill now before the house hinges on those undeclared votes that you heard dana and ed talking about. who are they? here are their faces, 29 that cnn has identified, but there are few lawmakers that cnn hasn't been able to get a hold of. a few of them we haven't been able to get a hold of. we'll have more on them later on. mark preston, our political editor, will join us in a little bit. he'll break it down and talk about where they might be leaning because, again, as we say, changes every minute.

if passed, though and signed into law, health care reform will affect americans for generations to come. many of its provisions won't kick in for years. however, others will be felt almost immediately. here is what they are. as the vote come down to the wire, president obama takes his message straight to the people, touting the immediate benefits of his health reform bill. >> starting this year, thousands of uninsured americans with pre-existing conditions will be able to purchase health insurance. some for the very first time. >> reporter: the full impact of the bill won't take place for several years. in the meantime, uninsured americans with pre-existing health conditions will get temporary coverage from a $5 billion fund. this coverage would also include children with pre-existing conditions. young adults would also immediately be covered under their parents' plan. >> and by the way, to all the young people here today, starting this year, if you don't

have insurance, all new plans will allow you to stay on your parents' plan until you are 26 years old. >> reporter: and right away, people with serious illnesses including cancer will no longer face coverage caps from insurance companies. and if people feel their insurance company unfairly denied them coverage, they can appeal through an independent process. and right away for the elderly when they exceed the limit of drug coverage under medicare part d, they'll get $250 a year to help plug the gap. >> do not quit. do not give up. we keep on going. we are going to get this done. we are going to make history. we are going to fix health care in america with your help. >> was that 2007, 2008? the president on the campaign trail? no, that's all this week and even today the president out on the campaign trail, so to speak, for health care reform. we're going to have more on president obama's speech to the house democratic caucus a little while ago.

straight ahead here this hour on cnn, we'll play a lot of it forry becaufor you because it was a very interesting speech. some say it sounded leakike a victory speech. we shall see. our special programming begins at 9:00 a.m. eastern tomorrow, we'll be covering it all day language for you. stick with us for up to the minute updates and analysis from the best political team on television, proof of that, our ed henry, dana bash, you saw them there in washington. and, of course, mark preston coming up in a little bit. meantime, more news to tell you about. an apology from the pope. he says he's sorry to ireland's catholics for the church abuse scandal. will it be enough to restore shattered faith? will it be? fargo tries to hold back the rising red river. more than 1 million sandbags are in place now. we're watching it live. we're waiting. our jacqui jeras also standing by. getting a lot of feedback from you guys regarding this health care reform bill. keep sending it. we'll get your questions on. we'll also give them to some of

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we're going to get to our weather. there she is. jacqui jeras. let's see jacqui real quick. we're talking about the upper midwest. help me out. people along the red river bracing for more flooding there? >> yeah. >> crests 19 feet above flood stage. this is fargo, north dakota, moorhead, minnesota, due to melting snow, more than 700,000 sandbags. >> yeah. >> guarding fargo and the national gafrd huard has to be deplayed. what is going on? >> it doesn't look like we'll reach the record levels we did last time around. this happens all the time. but, you know, the last two years have been a whole lot worse than it has been as of late. so we're looking at the river continuing to rise tomorrow. it look like the crest may be midday at about 37 feet.

so that is very significant. they have been working for weeks and weeks and weeks, probably months, actually, at building the sandbags and the dikes in that area. hopefully they'll hold. we'll continue to monitor that situation. our other big weather story today, on this first day of spring, happens to be very winter weather in the nation's heartland. >> that doesn't look like spring to me. >> not a lot of fun. >> pretty, though. >> it is gorgeous. patricia smith, our i-reporter from oklahoma city sent in this video. said the roads were really slick today, was plan on driving to a wedding. so patricia, if you're listening, hope you had a safe drive there. yesterday she said she spent the day riding her bicycle around the lake it was so gorgeous, like 72 yesterday in oklahoma city. winter storm warning in effect across much of the state there. you can see this next round of the heavy snow starting to move in, about half an hour or so ago. some really heavy banding, just west of the city, starting to push in. we can see maybe an inch an hour

as that moves on in. the other thing is that the winds are very strong. 20 miles per hour, sustained now but gusts could be reaching 45 at times. we're real worried about blowing and drifting of snow. heaviest of snow will be just north, we think, of i-40, where you can see a good 6 to 10 total. talk about the difference and changes in the temperatures as that front moves through. look at -- it is gorgeous up and down the eastern seaboard. check out boston, 71 degrees. only 36 in dallas. what is wrong with that picture, right? that cold air is going to move in behind the system. so everybody who is enjoying your spring weather in the east today will see the wet weather for tomorrow, followed by cooler temperatures. so kind of a mixed bag of a little bit of everything. >> i like that mixed bag. we don't have anywhere handy, scottie, a live shot of atlanta, do we? it is so beautiful. we don't. so beautiful here today, hard to come into the building. we knew we had to because we had to cover the weather. centennial olympic park, downtown atlanta. it is 70 degrees you said? >> easily 70s.

70 even. it is gorgeous. rain tomorrow, though. >> everything good must come to an end. we need that. mother nature. thank you. see you in a bit. we have been taking you through the health care reform bill that will be voted none washington. we know what the politicians think. you heard us talk ad nauseam about that. let's find out what the people on the front lines of health care, the doctors and nurses, patients think about the health care reform package. what does it mean for american families, for you, for you? listen to the next two people we have coming up. two doctors, two doctors who work every day in the trenches in health care. one of them is a u.s. representative. they'll give us their take on it next. by building the world's first luxury hybrid. today, lexus has four hybrid models on the road... including the hs, the most fuel-efficient of all luxury vehicles. lease the 2010 hs 250h for $369 a month for 36 months with $1,999 due at signing.

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do the right thing! do the right thing! do the right thing! do the right thing! >> that's steel workers in western pennsylvania showing some political strength in favor of the health care overhaul. dozens of union members are staging a sit-in at the congressional offices of representative jason altmire, a democrat currently in the no column on reform. the president of the steel workers says his workers helped put altmire in office and wants him to change his vote. the push and pull over the future of health care affecting patients, politicians, and physicians. we'll bring these two people in. first up is matt hines, a democratic state representative in arizona, who is also an internist. he's joining us from tucson. he supports the overall and then dr. brian hill is a urologist joining me from atlanta, opposed to the health care reform bill. you may recognize this guy from

last -- you caused quite a stir at one of those town hall meetings, conversations that they had. we'll talk to him in a little bit. but let's go to our guest first, from arizona, why do you support this bill, congressman hines, representative hines? >> representative. thank you for the promotion. it is great to be here. i have to say that this is something that i ran on and that i told my voters that i would work toward here in arizona. and i'm just pleased to see this that this is happening and this is going to come to fruition at a national level. it is so important from my background as a medical doctor, i see this all the time. and i see the uninsured and getting this package through, which will focus on wellness and prevention, cover 32 million americans who are currently uninsured, and do countless other things like close the doughnut hole, that area where our seniors aren't able to get their prescription drug coverage on medicare, and i can go on for a very long time as to why i

think this is great. >> i want to get dr. hill in here. thank you for that. we don't want to get too wonky here and want people to know, you talk about doughnut holes, everybody wants to know what that means, that gap of what your coverage is. you're shaking your head, looks like you could disagree with him and both of you are doctors. >> we all have our own opinions about this. i will tell you this, in my ultimate concern and i agree 100% that we need to do health care reform. i don't want anybody to discount that. the problem that i see with this bill here is that we are spending a tremendous amount of money in order to try to bring about health care reform. we are doing that in a system right now where we know it is bankrupting our country. we have already said that our country cannot afford this type of health care plan that we are currently on. and despite that, we have a bill through the that is going to increase our cost by a quarter of a trillion dollars. that is unsustainable. question not afford it. >> reading the research and talking to you, i talked to you on the phone, you texted me this morning, i talked to representative heinz you

believe, representative heinz, that it sort of -- it is, i don't know, what you say, for lack of a better word, doesn't make sense or it is not correct because representative heinz says that we're already covering people who are uninsured and that is costing more money than the reform bill will cost, or what it will cost in that bill. is that right, representative heinz? >> indeed, don. and the other thing i have to point out, according to the analysis that was just released by the cbo, in fact, this plan does actually generate the funding to pay for itself, and at the same time over the first ten years reduce the deficit by $138 billion due to some of the loopholes that are closed and some of the things in medicare that are reduced in terms of cost. i think it is important to note that. >> he's saying this is ducks in a pond. >> this is ducks in a pond. i'll tell you. i agree. i read the cbo report and the chief actuary report. it doesn't mention one thing about our national health care expenditures, the annual -- how

much we spend on health care. >> let me bring this back on the tracks -- on the rails here. i think the reason that we have both of you on is because both of you are in the trenches and matt heinz knows as a representative, a lawmaker and a physician. what are you, a emergency room physician? >> an internist. >> i'm a internist. >> and so help people understand what is at stake here and why the difference, why you believe that we can't afford it and he believes on the other side that we can afford it, and we can't not afford it. we cannot afford to do this. >> we need to fix our health care system. i want quality health care to everybody. i want that. i think we all need that. the problem is if it is unsustainable, unaffordable, he can cannot spend more money on it. we got to find a bet ware to te fix it. there are better plans and better ideas out there to find a way to decrease the cost within the system. this increases the cost. it doesn't bring it down. >> anything that we have ever done, as a lawmaker, you would

know this, representative heinz, anything we have ever done, hasn't it started with we do it, it is not always perfect, then we work on it, it always costs money, is this any different in your eyes as a doctor, and as a lawmaker than any other thing that we have covered, even medicare that we have done? >> that's right. and that's been around since the '50s. we passed a program like that, that does an expansive overhaul of something, in this case health care, and moving forward sometimes you have to tweak it. this is a major step in the right direction on many fronts. >> yeah. and i'll let you get the last word in and we have to go. >> i'll tell you this, i've read this plan in and out, i read both sides of this plan, this is a destructive plan. i hope people listen to me. there is plenty of data and information out there that show this plan is going to increase costs, it is going to affect our jobs it going to affect the quality of people's health care, it has been done in massachusetts, where i initially started, talking about massachusetts, look at

massachusetts, guys, it is going under. this is an awful plan. >> listen, thank you. we could go on. i'm glad you offered that perspective as doctors. >> i'm scared. i'm scared for my peeps. >> are you? >> i really am. this is an awful plan. i'm scared for my kids. >> i'm not at all, don. >> then look at the numbers. and read them properly. and don't just throw things that sound wonderful out there. you got to look at the reports. >> i do are to say thhave to sa understand what you're saying, but he's the lawmaker, but he knows the in and outs maybe more than you and how getting laws and plans in place work rather than -- i understand you're a doctor, but he may have a little bit more of an inside on you because he knows what happens behind the scenes. >> i won't discount his insight. but he's not looking at the numbers. he's following the roses in the sky kind of ideas without looking at what the effects are. this is medicine, we cannot accept politics for medicine. >> you are fighting here. they're going to beat me up

after the show. >> it is a bad plan. >> thank you very much. >> thanks a lot. >> you'll be fine. i'll give you a hug. >> i'm scared. a leading tourist of the amazon, now a cnn hero. we'll tell you y also ahead, nobody likes to be sitting near a crying baby. wait until you hear what some people want to do about it. ♪ yeah, we need participation ♪ for better schools and hospitals. ♪ ♪ the census, the tool, to make it all possible.♪ ♪ we can't move forward, ♪ until you mail it back. ♪

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president barack obama making a forceful argument for overhauling health care. less than 24 hours before the house votes on reform, here are some of his closing remarks to house democrats just moments ago. >> this is one of those times where you can honestly say to yourself, dog gone it, this is exactly why i came here. this is why i got into politics. this is why i got into public service. this is why i made those sacrifices, because i believe so deeply in this country, and i believe so deeply in this democracy, and i'm willing to

stand up, even when it is hard. even when it's tough. every single one of you have made that promise, not just to your constituents, but to yourself. and this is the time to make true on that promise. we are not bound to win, but we are bound to be true. we are not bound to succeed, but we are bound to let whatever light we have shine. we have been debating health care for decades. it is it now has be it has now been debated for a year. it is now in your hands. it is time to pass health care reform for america. and i am confident that you are going to do it tomorrow. thank you very much, house of

representatives. let's get this done! >> senior political editor mark preston, jump in here. so, mark, the president is out and you hear what that -- what the head of the democratic party says, the president, no doubt. what is the gop doing? i asked dana. she's checking. you're check as well. they're fighting behind the scenes to kill this. what's going on? you got new information? >> they're looking beyond the health care vote. people don't want to hear this, but everything that is happening today, everything that is going to happen over the next 24 hours, and for the next six to seven months has to do with politics as we speak now, michael steele, the republican national committee chairman, has sent out a letter to every one of his members. it is more of a pep talk, a talking point memo, telling them, look, we need to fight as we head into the midterm elections. he talks about how democrats are really a big government, a liberal government. he's trying to instill these talking points into his membership. he talks about how the fact that voters are looking for conservative principles.

again, not shocking that what he's saying this, but what they're doing, don, is they're they're forecasting ahead, looking ahead to the midterm elections. republicans believe, don, they can win in november if this health care bill does go through. >> do they have any -- do they have any leverage? do they have to convince democrats? or are democrats basically deciding on their own? is this of the republicans' doing or no? >> well, look, i mean, as far as votes go here in washington, a vote isn't a vote until we see the results. i think the republican party, by and large, don, is looking beyond this vote. i think they see that they don't think that they're going to win. however, a loss on health care does not necessarily mean a loss for the republican party. the republican party, again, strictly looking at it from a political sense, believes that they can win in november, don, if health care reform passes. and interestingly enough, here is a talking theme that you will see. if there is only 216 votes for health care, which is the bare

minimum to pass this legislation, don, 216, every one of those 216 democrats will be declared by the republican party as the deciding vote to pass this bill. and guess what, if it is 217 or 218, that democrat and nancy pelosi were the two deciding democrats for health care to pass. >> okay. listen, as we said, you talked about at the beginning of the show we said how is this playing when we talked about introducing you, how will this play in peoria. you're talking about the midterms come november. but seriously, how will this play in peoria if we're sitting there watching right now, wondering what my congressman what my lawmakers are doing behind the scenes. quickly, mark, a few seconds here, what do you tell folks back at home? >> bottom line is this is a very complex piece of legislation. we don't know how it is going to work. if you listen to the democrats, you think it is the holy grail. if you listen to the republicans, you think it is the worst thing ever. whoever is the most successful over next six or seven months is going to win in november. having said that, expect

democrats to lose seats anyway. it is a historical precedent for the party in power to lose seats especially when they own the white house. >> mark preston is just getting started. we're here all night, my friend, and we'll be here throughout the day tomorrow. mark, thank you. see you later on. nice haircut. stay with cnn throughout the weekend as we cover this crucial vote. our special programming begins 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. we'll be covering it all day long for you. our wolf blitzer is coming in on a sunday and he's going to be helming our coverage for you tomorrow afternoon. stay tuned here to cnn. she went interest beifrom b guide at cnn and find out what woman is doing to ease suffering in south america. 

and a tour guide on a mission to save lives in the amazon jungle. her name is patty webster, this week's "cnn hero". she goes the extra mile to bring medical care to the most remote and impoverished areas of peru. >> for someone that goes to the amazon on a vacation, you see the beauty, it is easy to overlook the realities of what people are living there. i was a guide leading venture tourists around. as time went on, i just saw real

suffering going on. people were very sick. people would sit around a mosquito net waiting for me to wake up so i could help them with a sick child. it was frightening to me because if they're depending on me for their health care, we're 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 to 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. some of these areas, many of them would never see a doctor. we work morning to night. we have so many people. you want to make sure everybody gets treated. this is our 17th year. we're seeing more patients,

providing more services. anything i can offer them that is going to help them, it is 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. >> want to see more of patty's work in peru, go to cnn.com/heroes and right there, nominate someone you think should be a cnn hero. is dr. sanjay gupta telling us to work out less? his surprising advice in our "fit nation" report coming up next. and crying babies on airliners, we have all been through it. they can make long flights even longer. some folks are offering a solution that will leave other folks screaming. 20 minutes later, she'll bring one into the world in seattle. later today, she'll help an accident victim in kansas.

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"the situation room" is straight ahead. wolf, what do you have for us? >> don, thanks very much. lots coming up right mere in "the situation room." scott bruin is herwe'll talk ab health care reform. how he's trying to defeat it. also a different perspective from the filmmaker michael moore, why he says reluctantly, vote yes for health care reform. we'll all talk about spring break in mexico. how safe is it for american students? all that coming up right here in "the situation room." >> thank you, wolf. we'll see you here tomorrow as well. it's a workout routine that sounds too good to be true. workout less and benefit more. it's true at least according to

one new study. >> this is something i'm really personally interested in, a lot had of people saying they don't have enough time to exercise, i confess, i'm one of them as well. that excuse could be gone now. new research says if you can exercise less and still get just as fit. may sound a bit gimmicky but stay with me. the key is hit or high interval training. resear researchers found that 20 minutes of high interval sker sigs burns more calorie, builds more muscle than someone who jogs leisurely for an hour. here's why it works. exercise intensely for a minute, take a break for a minute. so on and so forth for 20 minutes. high intensity minute when is you're exercising, get ten minutes of that hard exercise at the end and ten minutes of a little bit more rest. here's why it's important. while your heart rate does drop

during the rest periods it doesn't drop significantly, so you're having an aroquic, even anaerobic exercise. at least according to this zud did y study, you get the same benefits in a much shorter time. here's something i thought of. for example, if you're running, you could find a hill that take you about a minute to run up and walk back down that hill, run back up, walk back down, keep doing that for 20 minutes. bottom line for everybody. take a look at your fitness goals and if lack of time is an issue which it is for last people, then short duration, high intensity interval exercises could work for you. hope that helps. back to you. >> thank you, dr. sanjay gupta. planning to take a baby on an airline flight. why some people think you should leave the kid at home.

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okay. admit it, does your heart sink when you get on an airline and you see a crying baby in the seat next to you or anywhere close to you? it happens to me. this issue of crying babies and ruly children on flights is passionate for passengers on both sides of the aisle and sparked heated debate on cnn.com. some say babies should be banned from plane, movie theaters and strauntds. others say not so fast. after all,