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House Passes Health-Care Reform Bill Without Republican Votes Page 1 of 6 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes Page 1 of 6 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes By Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery approved the bill, which first passed the Washington Post Staff Writers Senate on Christmas Eve. Monday, March 22, 2010; A01 The debate has consumed Obama's first House Democrats scored a historic victory year in office, with his focus on the issue in the century-long battle to reform the amid a deep recession and crippling job nation's health-care system late Sunday losses potentially endangering his night, winning final approval of reelection prospects and Democratic legislation that expands coverage to 32 majorities in the House and the Senate. It million people and attempts to contain has inflamed the partisanship that spiraling costs. Obama pledged to tame when he campaigned for the White House and has The House voted 219 to 212 to approve limited Congress's ability to pass any the measure, with every Republican other major legislation, at least until voting no. The measure now awaits after the midterm elections in November. President Obama's signature. In remarks Sunday night, he said that the vote And it has sparked a citizens' revolt that "proved that we are still capable of doing reached the doors of the Capitol this big things. We proved that this weekend. government -- a government of the people and by the people -- still works "If we pass this bill, there will be no for the people." turning back," House Minority Leader House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Advertisement colleagues erupted in cheers and hugs as the votes were counted, while Republicans who had fought the Democratic efforts on health-care reform for more than a year appeared despondent. "Today we have the opportunity to complete the great unfinished business of our society and pass health insurance reform for all Americans as a right, not a privilege," Pelosi said before the House http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943_pf.html Print Powered By http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943_pf.html 3/22/2010 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes Page 2 of 6 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) warned on the that serves relatively well the 150 million floor. "In a democracy, you can only Americans who receive health insurance ignore the will of the people for so long through their jobs but provides few and get away with it." affordable options for people who work part time, are self employed or work for The bill will affect virtually every man, companies that don't offer health woman and child in the United States in benefits. some way, from the 20-somethings who constitute one of the largest uninsured Obama conveyed to the wavering House groups to poor, childless adults who Democrats who visited the White House don't qualify for Medicaid in most states in recent days that he had put his to well-paid professionals who could see presidency at risk by pushing the House their benefits shrink. The health-care to act on the Senate bill. Although many debate touched on many highly charged House Democrats found the Senate moral issues in American life, and a legislation lacking, passing it was the handful of antiabortion Democrats held only option after Republican Scott Brown up a final deal until late Sunday won a Massachusetts special Senate afternoon, before reaching a election in January and cost Democrats breakthrough with the White House. their filibuster-proof majority in that chamber. Along with the Senate's blueprint for reform, the House late Sunday approved The 34 Democratic defectors were fewer a package of fixes to the legislation that than the 39 who voted against the House will face a potentially rocky journey version approved in November, but the through the Senate this week. Over the Advertisement next 10 years, the measure will set in motion a complex series of changes to the health insurance market that will translate into the biggest expansion of coverage since Medicare and Medicaid were created in 1965, and the most ambitious effort ever to restrain health- care costs. Presidents as far back as Theodore Roosevelt have rued the nation's approach to health coverage, a system http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943_pf.html Print Powered By http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943_pf.html 3/22/2010 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes Page 3 of 6 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes number was substantial enough to Obama could issue an executive order underscore the political uncertainty for clarifying the ban on federal funding of many Democrats, especially those who abortion. Stupak and six colleagues represent moderate to conservative eventually agreed to the executive order, districts. which was announced by the White House on Sunday afternoon and is While the vote delivers on a major Obama scheduled to be issued after the bill is campaign promise, it also solidifies Pelosi signed. (Calif.) as a political risk taker with a deep understanding of how far every "I've always supported health-care member of her Democratic caucus is reform," Stupak told reporters, after willing to bend. Along with Obama, Pelosi concluding marathon talks with party was one of the few prominent Democrats leaders. But he added, "There was a who didn't flinch when Brown won his principle that meant more to us than Senate seat. Instead, she sold her caucus anything, and that was the sanctity of on the Senate legislation, orchestrating life." the fixes bill to address major concerns and secure enough votes for passage. On Sunday night, the House acted first on the legislation that cleared the Senate The last issue resolved before the vote on Christmas Eve. That measure devotes was the long-standing question of $875 billion over the next decade to whether federal subsidies in the bill c expanding insurance coverage, with the ould be used to pay for insurance major changes coming in 2014. An policies that provide abortion services. A estimated 24 million people who lack handful of antiabortion Democrats feared Advertisement that the Senate language didn't provide adequate restrictions, and they refused to vote for the legislation unless the firewall was made more secure. Democrats who support abortion rights refused to accept any legislative changes. But on Tuesday, Rep. Bart Stupak (D- Mich.), the leader of the antiabortion faction, ran into White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel at the House gym, and Emanuel offered a compromise: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943_pf.html Print Powered By http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943_pf.html 3/22/2010 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes Page 4 of 6 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes access to affordable coverage through the have to permit adult children to stay on workplace will be eligible for tax credits their parents' policies until they turn 26. to buy insurance on new state-based And small businesses with fewer than 25 exchanges, while nearly everyone who employees and average annual wages of earns less than 133 percent of the federal up to $50,000 will receive tax credits to poverty level -- an estimated 16 million offset the cost of buying insurance for people -- will become eligible for their workers. Medicaid. Meanwhile, insurance companies will be For the first time, individuals will pay a subject to new rules: In six months, all price for refusing to buy insurance, new plans will have to cover the full cost facing fines of at least $750 a year of preventive care, including annual starting in 2014. And employers with physicals and children's immunizations. more than 50 workers that do not Insurers won't be able to require prior provide coverage may also face approval for patients who need to see significant fines. gynecologists or go to the emergency room. Medicare, the federal health program for people over 65, will undergo significant Children with medical conditions will no changes intended to deliver care more longer be denied coverage, and states will efficiently and at a lower price, with the receive $5 billion to create high-risk i aim of using the nation's largest nsurance pools to provide affordable insurance plan to force doctors, hospitals coverage to adults with preexisting and other private-sector players to conditions. Insurers will also be barred follow suit. Advertisement Medicare Advantage, a form of Medicare provided by private insurance companies to about 11 million seniors, will lose nearly $120 billion over the next decade, probably forcing providers to drop popular add-on benefits such as gym memberships. The legislation also includes smaller changes that will take effect this year. In six months, new insurance policies will http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943_pf.html Print Powered By http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943_pf.html 3/22/2010 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes Page 5 of 6 House passes health-care reform bill without Republican votes from imposing lifetime limits on benefits and from dropping people when they file House Democrats also insisted on a claim. changing major sources of funding for the legislation, particularly the Senate's For seniors, the bill will immediately proposal to impose a 40 percent excise expand the Medicare drug benefit and, tax on the most generous employer- effective July 1, provide a 50 percent provided policies, starting in 2013.
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