Republicans in the House and Senate have been telling their Democratic counterparts that they would be open to supporting a health care reform bill if it includes, among other things, medical malpractice reform. It now appears that option could be on the table.

While no one knows what Obama will talk about in his speech before Congress tonight, the lead negotiator on a Senate bipartisan health care reform plan signaled that President Obama could be open to provisions aimed at reducing the number of junk lawsuits that have played a big role in driving up the cost of health care.