Adam Green from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee appeared on the Ed Schultz show, and announced that Tim Johnson and Debbie Stabenow are the 21st and 22nd Senators to sign on to the Bennet letter asking that the public option be included in a reconciliation package for healthcare reform.
He also said that PCCC/DFA/CREDO Action will release more poll numbers tomorrow showing that the public option gets 57% approval among North Dakota voters, showing the deep support for the idea even in Kent Conrad's heartland.
Chris Bowers at Open Left has been conducting a whip count on both using reconciliation and on the public option.
This makes 35 public supporters for passing health reform via reconciliation, and 23 in favor of passing a public option through that process. Here is the current whip chart in detail:
#1: Use reconciliation to pass health reform?
Yes: 36
Maybe: 4
No: 1
No comment: 18
#2: Pass a public option through reconciliation?
Yes: 24
Maybe: 8
No: 5
No comment: 22
Concerning the "maybes" on question #2, there are five Senators--Cardin (MD), Casey (PA), Klobuchar (MN) McCaskill (MO) and Reid (NV)--who have said they they support reconciliation, and support the public option, but just haven't confirmed that they support passing a public option through reconciliation. Plus, there is also Tom Harkin, who has not gone on record, but who has been a very strong supporter of the public option. Also, other people are saying he supports passing a public option through reconciliation.
Levin and Feingold are the two that Chris has listed as yeses on passing the public option through reconciliation, but who are not on the Bennet letter.
With the White House not only blessing the use of reconciliation, but saying out loud that they are fully prepared to ask for an up or down vote on healthcare reform and devising a package that would (mostly) be passable using reconciliation, that part of the fight should be settled. Now it's going to be all about keeping the pressure on and keeping the momentum going.
The full list of Senators signed onto to letter: Sen. Michael Bennet, CO; Sen. Barbara Boxer, CA; Sen. Sherrod Brown, OH; Sen. Roland Burris, IL; Sen. Dianne Feinstein, CA; Sen. Al Franken, MN; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, NY; Sen. Tim Johnson, SD; Sen. John Kerry, MA; Sen. Frank Lautenberg, NJ; Sen. Patrick Leahy, VT; Sen. Robert Menendez, NJ; Sen. Jeff Merkley, OR; Sen. Barbara Mikulski, MD; Sen. Jack Reed, RI; Sen. Bernie Sanders, VT; Sen. Charles Schumer, NY; Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, NH; Sen. Arlen Specter, PA; Sen. Debbie Stabenow, MI; Sen. Tom Udall, NM; Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, RI.