Just before the vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi secured the remaining votes to ensure passage as Democrats voted 219-212 to send the legislation to the president's desk. Not a single Republican supported the measure.
"We will be joining those who established Social Security, Medicare and now, tonight, health care for all Americans," Pelosi told House members as she brought the debate to a close.
The bill, which was a life-long goal of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, will finally get rid of insurance companies right to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, reduce the budget deficit by $1.3 trillion dollars over the next two decades and ensure health care for more than 30 million Americans through mandates and entitlement subsidies, among a number of other measures to ensure Americans of all ages can obtain quality, affordable health care. While Americans can expect to see many of the reforms enacted within the next three to six months, a number of other reforms will take three years to implement.
"This isn't radical reform, but it is major reform," Obama said after the House vote.
After all of the fear perpetrated by the Republican party has faded, I think we will remember this health care bill as one of the most important pieces of legislation in our country's history - for what could be more important than protecting our own people from the money-grubbing swine's who run the insurance companies. In terms of the angry opposition, which included Tea Party activists shouting racial slurs and anti-gay remarks and spitting on Democratic Congressman over the weekend, we must remember that all of the great pieces of legislation in this country have been passed under harsh opposition from the right (i.e. Medicare, Social Security and Civil Rights) - all of which most Americans today could not imagine living with out.
While a many weak minded Americans will continue to oppose the health care bill, due to lies that have been perpetrated by Republicans and members of the nutty right-wing media, the rest of us finally will be able to know that our government will no longer allow big insurance companies to decide our fate through health care. No longer will 40,000 Americans have to die each year because they were denied health care or could not afford coverage. No longer will women and children be dropped because of preexisting conditions. These are not evil reforms, these are reforms that will help curb costs and make the system more efficient for all of us, even those that oppose it. And at the end of the day its about protecting every American from a broken health care system.
I think it is time for all Americans, even the Tea Party nuts, to take a step back and look through all the smoke screens and think about all of the lives, including their own, that will be saved because of this piece of legislation. Is the bill perfect, not by any means, but will it go along ways to curb costs and ensure health care is a right and not a privilege for all Americans, "you betcha."
The president is expected to sign the bill Tuesday and it could take a week for Senate Democrats to pass amendments to the bill by the House through reconciliation. After that, millions of Americans will be able to sleep easier at night, knowing that their families are safe from bankruptcy and death, because our government decided to finally stand up for the people and not the insurance companies.
"We proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things," Obama said. "We proved that this government - a government of the people and by the people - still works for the people."
What the bill will do for you:
* Small businesses will get tax credits to help them cover employees. Seniors will get rebates on prescription pills, closing the so-called donught holes in Medicare.
* Within six months insurance companies will not be able to drop people who get sick. Children will be able to stay on parents insurance until they are 26, and can not be denied because of a preexisting condition.
* Most people, who already have health insurance through their employers, will not be affected. Almost everyone who is uninsured will be required to buy coverage, or face penalties.
* Low income people will get subsidies or be eligible for expanded Medicaid coverage.
* Starting in 2014, people who don't have insurance through their jobs will be able to buy insurance in new state run insurance exchanges.
* Premiums will be capped at a percentage of income ranging from 3 percent to 9.5 percent.
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