WASHINGTON - Delivering a hard-fought victory in President Barack Obama's year-long pursuit of a national healthcare overhaul, a divided House tonight narrowly voted to approve a Senate-passed healthcare bill which both supporters and opponents call historic!
The 219-212 vote will be delivered to the president's desk; A healthcare bill that he finally can sign.
This was the first step of a two-part drama unfolding in the House this evening, with another late vote expected on a package that reconciles differences between this Senate-passed and now House-approved bill and another measure which the House approved in November.
Together, the two bills would present the president with a long-sought triumph for the signature domestic agenda of his presidency, a bid to offer health insurance to an estimated 32 million Americans who are uninsured and improve the coverage of those with insurance.
The second measure, also expected to pass the House tonight, will have to go to the Senate, where leaders hope to approve it by a simple majority vote under a process of "budget reconciliation.'' Any changes made in the Senate, however, will return that legislation to the House before the president can sign the second bill.
"I know this bill is complicated, but it's also very simple,''said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) during the final debate
"Illness and infirmity are universal, but we are stronger against them together than we are alone…. In that shared strength is our nation's strength.''
CHECK OUT PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEAKING ON THE PASSING...
So what do YOU think?
Do you approve of the new bill?
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