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In a press conference Sunday, Rep. Bart Stupak explained his decision to reach a deal with President Obama that involves Obama issuing an executive order about abortion funding.

Washington (CNN) – An anti-abortion rights organization is withdrawing an award it planned to present Rep. Bart Stupak, after the Michigan Democrat announced Sunday he would support health care reform legislation.

The Susan B. Anthony List had chosen Stupak to receive the “Defender of Life” award at the “Campaign for Life Gala” Wednesday here in the nation’s capital. Stupak and several Democrats said that they would vote for the health care bill after President Obama assured them that no federal funding would be allowed to pay for abortion. Obama released an executive order that emphasized abortions would not be paid for with federal dollars.

“By accepting this deal from the most pro-abortion President in American history, Stupak has not only failed to stand strong for unborn children, but also for his constituents and pro-life voters across the country,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement shortly before the House was set to vote on the controversial bill.

Dannenfelser charged that the executive order was not enough.

"The executive order on abortion funding does absolutely nothing to fix the problems presented by the health care reform bill that the House will vote on this evening,” she said. “The very idea should offend all pro-life Members of Congress. An executive order can be rescinded at any time at the President's whim, and the courts could and have a history of trumping executive orders. Most importantly, pro-abortion Representatives have admitted the executive order is meaningless."

Updated: 11:28 p.m.: Rep. Stupak spoke with CNN Sunday night about the decision of the Susan B. Anthony List. "I didn't seek the award," Stupak told CNN, "I stood on my principle. I don't need an award."

–CNN Producer Lesa Jansen contributed to this report.

Washington (CNNMoney.com) - The momentous vote the House took on Sunday made far-reaching changes to the American health care system.

When enacted, it will extend coverage to 32 million more people. It will protect policyholders from being bounced for pre-existing illnesses. It will expand Medicare prescription drug coverage and offer subsidies to help people pay for insurance.

The expansion of coverage isn't cheap. According to a preliminary estimate by the Congressional Budget Office, the legislation would cost $940 billion over the course of a decade. Offsetting provisions would reduce deficits by $143 billion in the first 10 years and by more than $1 trillion in the following decade.

But the economic mechanics of health care reform are exceedingly complex. Does the legislation do enough to protect the budget?

CNNMoney asked a panel of fiscal experts to size up the legislation from a budget perspective.

Full story on CNNMoney.com

Washington (CNN) - The House of Representatives has passed a sweeping $875 billion health care reform bill. The measure, which cleared the Senate in December, will now head to President Barack Obama's desk to be signed into law.

The bill passed in a 219-212 vote. All 178 Republicans opposed it, along with 34 Democrats.

Related: Health care latest

President Obama wants to show 'we have a capacity as a country to take on big challenges,' a Democratic official told CNN about the president's Sunday evening address.

Washington (CNN) - In the East Room late on Sunday night, President Obama is going to be blunt about casting the House's expected passage of his health care legislation as an achievement of historic proportions that shows he's starting to deliver on the dramatic change he promised on the campaign trail, according to Democratic officials familiar with the planned remarks.

"He's going to say we delivered - that we rose to the challenge," said one of the Democratic officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss Obama's speech before it is delivered. "It's about change, and what change looks like."

A second Democratic official said the president wants to show “we have a capacity as a country to take on big challenges. The fact that we could navigate the rocky shoals [on health care] is heartening for the future.”
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Washington (CNN) – If House Democrats pass the Senate bill Sunday night, as is expected, a senior administration official said “it won’t be signed today.”

Instead, President Obama will deliver remarks after the vote in the White House East Room.

The president spent the day working the phones in an effort to sway reluctant Democrats, and reach or exceed the 216 “magic number” needed to pass the Senate bill.

Only too eager to show the president fully engaged with his sleeves rolled up, the White House posted two photos of Obama. One photo showed him taking calls in the Oval Office, the other with his legislative team in chief of staff Rahm Emanuel’s office.

In just the last week, the president has logged more than 90 calls and meetings on health care, according to a senior aide.

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(CNN) – Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, will preside over the House health care reform vote Sunday night with a special gavel that’s already a part of congressional history.

Pelosi will use a gavel borrowed from fellow Democrat longtime Michigan Rep. John Dingell. Dingell used the gavel when he presided over the House as it passed the Medicare bill in 1965.

“A treasure in the Dingell family that was used in the enactment of the Medicare law”, Pelosi told reporters, “I will use it this evening when we cast a very successful vote for this important legislation. This has been a complete team effort, not only a team effort, a partnership with our leadership and every member of our caucus and we look forward to making this historic day known to the American people."
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Washington (CNN) - The House of Representatives has passed the rule governing remaining debate on the health care bill.

The rule, approved in 224-206 vote, sets aside two hours of debate time, now planned for Sunday night. Debate will be followed by votes on a $875 billion plan previously approved by the Senate, and a separate package of changes raising the total cost of the plan to $940 billion.

All 178 Republicans opposed the rule, along with 28 Democrats.

On CNN's State of the Union, Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana, called the slur directed at Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, 'contemptible.' 'I denounce it in the strongest terms,' Pence said.

Washington (CNN) - House Republican leaders criticized the use of slurs against Democratic congressmen by protesters on Capitol Hill Saturday, but they called them isolated incidents that shouldn't overshadow the debate over health care.

Three Democratic African-American lawmakers - including civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis of Georgia - said demonstrators against the health care bill yelled racist epithets at them as they walked past. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri said a protester spit at him. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, an openly gay Democrat, said protesters yelled anti-gay comments at him.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the incidents "reprehensible" but said on NBC's Meet the Press "let's not let a few isolated incidents get in the way of the fact that millions of Americans are scared to
death, and millions of Americans want no part of this growing size of government."

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, appearing on NBC, said, "I think the tone of the this entire debate has been denigrated, has been brought down, frankly, by the rhetoric on government takeover, socialism, things that are not accurate."

"Nobody condones that at all," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R- Virginia. on ABC's "This Week." "There were 30,000 people here in Washington yesterday. And, yes, there were some very awful things said."

Cantor appeared with House Democratic Caucus chairman John Larson, D-Connecticut, who said the incidents show "everybody ought to ratchet back just a little bit."

Asked about Larson's comment, Cantor said "you know what it is time for? It's time to listen to the American people, and that is the stunning thing about this."

On CNN's "State of the Union," Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana, called the slurs "contemptible," saying, "I denounce it in the strongest terms."
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Sens. Feinstein, a Democrat, and Hatch, a Republican, sat down with CNN's Candy Crowley Sunday to discuss the prospects for the health care reform legislation in the Senate.

Washington (CNN) – A prominent Democratic senator predicted Sunday that her party will succeed in passing a reconciliation bill that puts the finishing touches on President Obama’s plan for health care reform. But, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, also said the legislation isn’t “perfect” and that the reform package will likely be altered at a later date to work out any issues that may arise.

“I believe, at the end, more than 51 Democrats will hold firm and will pass the reconciliation bill and we will have health care reform,” Feinstein said on CNN’s State of the Union.

But Feinstein also said, “This isn’t the perfect bill. We all know that. We all know that there are going to have to be fixes down the road just as every major [federal] program has had – Medicare has had, Social Security will likely have because of the explosion of costs.” In defense of the controversial and unpopular Democratic package, Feinstein pointed out that the United States spends more on health care than its European counterparts without achieving better outcomes. “We spend a lot of money but we don’t necessarily spend it in the right way or in the right places.”

And Feinstein continued with a prediction if her party is not successful in passing the legislation after the past year of wrangling on Capitol Hill.
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Washington (CNN) - Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, a leader of House Democrats opposed to abortion rights, announced Sunday that he had reached a deal with the White House that will allow him to back the health care reform bill.

He also said the deal will give Democratic leaders more than enough votes to pass the bill.

"We're well past" the 216 votes needed for passage, Stupak said. "This bill is going to go through."

President Barack Obama will issue an executive order "after the passage of the health insurance reform law that will reaffirm its consistency with long-standing restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortion," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said in a written statement.

"While the legislation as written maintains current law, the executive order provides additional safeguards to ensure that the status quo is upheld and enforced, and that the health care legislation's restrictions against the public funding of abortions cannot be circumvented."

Related: Read the entire order

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The White House announced Sunday that President Obama intends to sign an executive order regarding abortion funding that "provides additional safeguards to ensure that the status quo is upheld and enforced." (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Washington (CNN) - The White House announced Sunday that President Obama will issue an executive order regarding federal funding for abortion after the anticipated passage of health care reform legislation in the House.

"While the legislation as written maintains current law," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said in a statement, "the executive order provides additional safeguards to ensure that the status quo is upheld and enforced, and that the health care legislation’s restrictions against the public funding of abortions cannot be circumvented."

(Read the text of the executive order after the jump)

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'It’s going to be an interesting day,' Republican Mike Pence said of Sunday afternoon's vote on health care reform in the House.

Washington (CNN) – A prominent House Republican said Sunday that his caucus will do whatever it can to try to stop passage of a Democratic health care reform plan.

“Well, I don’t know if they have the votes,” Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana, said on State of the Union, just minutes after Rep. John Larson, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said Democrats had lined up the 216 votes necessary to pass the legislation. “House Republicans are going to use every means at our disposal,” Pence said.

Related video: Larson, Pence on health reform

When asked by CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley exactly what House Republicans intended to do, Pence was coy. “Well, stay tuned, Candy. It’s going to be an interesting day.”

The House is set to take up the final Democratic package on Sunday afternoon.

The Indiana Republican also suggested Sunday that Democrats could pay a price at the polls in this year’s midterm elections if they succeed in passing health care reform.

“I don’t know if they [Democrats] have the votes today,” Pence told Crowley as he looked at Larson, “but I guarantee you the American people know they have the votes in November.”
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Supporters of overhauling the country's immigration laws rallied in Washington Sunday. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Washington (CNN) - Tens of thousands of people turned out on Washington's National Mall on Sunday to support the Obama administration in its next big battle, a renewed effort to overhaul U.S. immigration laws.

Speaking by video to the crowd, President Barack Obama said he would do "everything in my power" to get a bipartisan deal within the year.

"You know as well as I do that this won't be easy, and it won't happen overnight," Obama said. "But if we work together across ethnic, state and party lines, we can build a future worthy of our history as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws."

Obama's appearance was followed by comments from Gustavo Torres, executive director of the Baltimore-based immigrant advocacy group CASA de Maryland. Torres told the crowd, "Mr. President, we are going to hold you accountable."
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Related: Health care latest

Washington (CNNMoney.com) - The House is poised to vote on a proposal Sunday that would make Washington the one-stop-shop for cheap student loans and boost funding for need-based scholarships.

While taking up the health care overhaul, the House will also consider another of President Obama's top priorities: cutting out bank middlemen who collect subsidies to make education loans guaranteed by the federal government.

The proposal has been included in the so-called reconciliation bill before the House. If it passes, it is expected to be taken up by the Senate in coming days.

Full story on CNNMoney.com

Related: Health care latest

When asked how close he was to a deal, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan, responded, 'Close.'

Washington (CNN) - In the final hours before a health care vote Sunday, a key Democratic holdout told CNN he was close to a deal with the White House that could help win passage of the legislation.

Later: Dems reach deal on abortion funding

Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan, part of a group of Democrats who oppose abortion, was nearing an agreement on language in an executive order that would address the issue.

"I'm still a no," he told CNN early Sunday afternoon. "There is no deal yet. It's a work in progress. Maybe we'll get there today."

He said he had met with White House lawyers Sunday.

When asked how close he was to a deal, Stupak responded, "Close."

Stupak told CNN that eight House Democrats met with White House officials including counsel Bob Bauer on Saturday night, but the two sides did not reach an agreement.
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Washington (CNN) - As the clock ticks down to a critical health care reform vote on Capitol Hill Sunday, a White House official said President Obama is “in the West Wing, getting updates, dropping in on staff, and like the rest of America, examining the rubble of his bracket.”

The official added that Obama “made a surprise appearance at an 11:00 a.m. meeting of senior staff,” and is “preparing to make and take member phone calls as we move toward the vote.”

Washington (CNN) - CNN Chief National Correspondent John King returned to "State of the Union" Sunday to discuss this year's midterm elections, health care reform and his new weeknight broadcast, "John King, USA."

Learn more on the  John King, USA blog