Landmark health care bill passes
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., carries the gavel used when Medicare passed in 1965 as she crosses Independence Avenue to the U.S. Capitol with other Democrats before the House voted on health care legislation on Sunday. At right is Rep. David Obey, D-Wisc., at left are Reps. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Steny Hoyer, D-Md. and John Lewis, D-Ga.
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WASHINGTON -- Aided by an 11th-hour compromise on abortion, Democrats in the House of Representatives narrowly passed a landmark health care bill Sunday night, capping a tumultuous debate that will resume this week in the Senate.
The $940 billion measure would expand health insurance coverage to 32 million Americans while imposing significant reforms on the insurance industry. Its passage was a major triumph for President Barack Obama -- who postponed a foreign trip to see it through -- and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who once again scraped together enough votes to pass a major, controversial piece of legislation.
"We proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things, tackling the biggest challenges," said Mr. Obama, who will sign the Senate bill before the Senate takes up the reconciliation bill of alterations beginning Tuesday.
"We proved that this government -- the government of the people, by the people -- still works for the people. ... This is what change looks like."
The final tally to approve the Senate health care bill was 219-212, with 34 Democrats -- including Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless -- joining a united Republican caucus to vote against a measure that was ferociously criticized as a massive entitlement expansion financed by unpopular cuts to Medicare and taxes on high-cost plans. A government mandate that all citizens carry health insurance was attacked as potentially unconstitutional and likely will face a court challenge if signed into law.
Among local lawmakers, Reps. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, and Kathy Dahlkemper, D-Erie, voted for the bill; Reps. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, Bill Shuster, R-Blair, Glenn Thompson, R-Centre, and Mr. Altmire voted against it.
The dual-vote strategy, crafted by Democratic leaders, called for the House to pass the Senate bill as is, along with a series of changes that can get through the Senate in the 51-vote reconciliation process. The House approved the reconciliation bill, 220-211.
The Senate passed its bill Dec. 24, but in the meantime Democrats lost their 60th vote when Republican Scott Brown won his special election in Massachusetts, prompting the parliamentary maneuver.
First Published March 22, 2010 12:15 am
