House Democrats pass health-care bill - Ecademy - Lucas Wyrsch

"Historic healthcare overhaul passes House The 220-215 vote marks the first such victory in decades of efforts to expand insurance coverage. The bill wins a lone GOP vote and loses many Democrats, pointing to challenges awaiting in the Senate. The House of Representatives on Saturday approved the most sweeping healthcare legislation since the creation of Medicare 44 years ago, giving a boost to President Obama's campaign to guarantee health coverage to almost all Americans. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, left, and Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) after the vote, rallied her party for months. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press / November 7, 2009) The House of Representatives approved a healthcare reform bill on Saturday that would expand coverage to most Americans and bar insurance practices such as refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions. The battle over President Barack Obama's top domestic priority now shifts to the Senate, which has been struggling to fashion its own version of the legislation. Differences in the two bills eventually must be reconciled and passed again before being sent to Obama for his signature. Here is a sampling of reaction to the narrow 220-215 vote on the bill. President Barack Obama: "Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America. Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will." Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid: "In the Senate, we hope to receive CBO, Congressional Budget Office, scores back on our draft proposals in the coming days, and look forward to bringing a final bill to the Senate floor as soon as possible. We realize the strong will for reform that exists, and we are energized that we stand closer than ever to reforming our broken health insurance system." House Republican leader John Boehner: "Americans want a common-sense approach to... more... - Lucas Wyrsch from Bookmarklet