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Conflict in your relationships? We can help …Health care House passes health care bill on 219-212 vote
August 29, 2010 - 1:58 pm
House passes health care bill on 219 212 vote
House passes health care bill on 219 212 vote
President Obama won a historic victory in the struggle for health care reform Sunday as the House of Representatives passed a sweeping bill overhauling the American medical system.
The bill passed in a 219-212 vote after more than a year of bitter partisan debate. All 178 Republicans opposed it, along with 34 Democrats.
The measure, which cleared the Senate in December, will now go to Obama’s desk to be signed into law. It constitutes the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago.
A separate compromise package of changes expanding the reach of the measure also passed the House over unanimous GOP opposition, and is now set to be taken up by the Senate.
The overall $940 billion plan is projected to extend insurance coverage to roughly 32 million additional Americans. It represents a significant step towards the goal of universal coverage sought by every Democratic president since Harry Truman.
Most Americans will now be required to have health insurance or pay a fine. Larger employers will be required to provide coverage or risk financial penalties. Total individual out-of pocket expenses will be capped, and insurers will be barred from denying coverage based on gender or pre-existing conditions.
The compromise package would add to the bill’s total cost partly by expanding insurance subsidies for middle- and lower-income families. The measure would scale back the bill’s taxes on expensive insurance plans.
Video: Health care bill passes
Video: Pelosi’s final pitch
Video: Boehner’s fiery plea to House
Video: Debate right up to House vote
RELATED TOPICS
* Health Care Reform
* Health Care Policy
* U.S. House of Representatives
* Barack Obama
Numerous House members insisted they would not back the Senate bill without a clear promise that senators would approve the changes.
The rare Sunday vote occurred after a long weekend of intense negotiations between the White House, House leaders and individual congressmen. Obama traveled to Capitol Hill Saturday to make a last-minute plea to the entire House Democratic caucus. He spent much of the last week trying to personally convince dozens of members.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, worked with administration officials to defuse a potentially fatal rebellion among socially conservative Democrats concerned that the bill won’t do enough to prevent taxpayer-funded abortions.
She also brokered a last-minute deal among several Democrats worried about disparities in Medicare funding for individual states.
Republicans failed to stop the Democratic health care initiative despite utilizing almost every weapon in their legislative arsenal. GOP leaders repeatedly have warned the plan will lead to a government takeover of America’s private employer-based health care system.
They have also argued it will lead to higher premiums and taxes while imposing harsh Medicare cuts and doing little to control spiraling medical costs.
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