Numerous media reports say that Democratic leaders will not pursue the tactic known as "deeming" when they vote on health-care reform tomorrow.

Instead, the reports say, House members will first vote on a reconciliation bill, which will include changes to a bill the Senate has passed. Then they'll vote on the Senate bill.

While Democrats have apparently continued to pick up votes for the Senate bill, there've been no reports that they have secured the 216 they need to pass it. And it's hard to know whether dropping deeming helps or hurts them.

Deeming (being called "the Slaughter solution," because it was proposed by Rules Committee Chair Louise Slaughter) would have assumed that the Senate bill had already passed in the House. In theory, that might have protected some House Democrats facing tough elections, because they wouldn't have to vote directly on the Senate bill. But the procedure was coming under increasing criticism, and at least one Democrat said during hearings today that if deeming was used, he would change his "yes" vote on health-care reform to "no."

The House is scheduled to begin voting on the Senate bill tomorrow at 1 p.m. C-Span II (Channel 77 in Rochester) is covering today's hearings.