House Passes Landmark Health Care Bill
In a victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives narrowly passed landmark health care legislation to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous.
The 220-215 vote late Saturday night cleared the way for the Senate to begin debate on the issue that has come to overshadow all others in Congress. But it will be tougher to get Senate approval because Democrats will need 60 out of 100 votes to end debate and bring legislation to a final vote, and several moderate Democratic senators still have reservations.
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care Reform
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi likened the legislation to the passage of the government's Social Security pension program in 1935 and Medicare health insurance for the elderly 30 years later.
"It provides coverage for 96 percent of Americans. It offers everyone, regardless of health or income, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will have access to affordable health care when they need it," said Rep. John Dingell, an 83-year-old Democratic lawmaker who has introduced national health insurance in every Congress since succeeding his father in 1955.
In the run-up to a final vote, conservatives from the two political parties joined forces to impose tough new restrictions on abortion coverage in insurance policies to be sold to many individuals and small groups. They prevailed on a roll call of 240-194.
Ironically, that only solidified support for the legislation, clearing the way for conservative Democrats to vote for it.
More Coverage of Health Care Reform:
Key Provisions of the House Health Care Bill"
Obama: "This Is Our Moment to Deliver"
Obama Calls Holdouts on Health Care
The legislation would require most Americans to carry insurance and provide federal subsidies to those who otherwise could not afford it. Large companies would have to offer coverage to their employees. Both consumers and companies would be slapped with penalties if they defied the government's mandates.
Insurance industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions would be banned, and insurers would no longer be able to charge higher premiums on the basis of gender or medical history. In a further slap, the industry would lose its exemption from federal antitrust restrictions on price gouging, bid rigging and market allocation.
A cheer went up from the Democratic side of the House when the bill gained 218 votes, a majority. Moments later, Democrats counted down the final seconds of the voting period in unison, and let loose an even louder roar when Pelosi grabbed the gavel and declared, "the bill is passed."
From the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement saying, "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."
If the Senate does pass a bill, it would have to be reconciled with the House version by a panel of lawmakers from both chambers before the legislation is put up for final approval.
The House bill drew the votes of 219 Democrats and Rep. Joseph Cao, a first-term Republican who holds an overwhelmingly Democratic seat in New Orleans. Opposed were 176 Republicans and 39 Democrats.
Nearly unanimous in their opposition, minority Republicans cataloged their objections across hours of debate on the 1,990-page, $1.2 trillion legislation.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The 220-215 vote late Saturday night cleared the way for the Senate to begin debate on the issue that has come to overshadow all others in Congress. But it will be tougher to get Senate approval because Democrats will need 60 out of 100 votes to end debate and bring legislation to a final vote, and several moderate Democratic senators still have reservations.
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care Reform
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi likened the legislation to the passage of the government's Social Security pension program in 1935 and Medicare health insurance for the elderly 30 years later.
"It provides coverage for 96 percent of Americans. It offers everyone, regardless of health or income, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will have access to affordable health care when they need it," said Rep. John Dingell, an 83-year-old Democratic lawmaker who has introduced national health insurance in every Congress since succeeding his father in 1955.
In the run-up to a final vote, conservatives from the two political parties joined forces to impose tough new restrictions on abortion coverage in insurance policies to be sold to many individuals and small groups. They prevailed on a roll call of 240-194.
Ironically, that only solidified support for the legislation, clearing the way for conservative Democrats to vote for it.
More Coverage of Health Care Reform:
Key Provisions of the House Health Care Bill"
Obama: "This Is Our Moment to Deliver"
Obama Calls Holdouts on Health Care
The legislation would require most Americans to carry insurance and provide federal subsidies to those who otherwise could not afford it. Large companies would have to offer coverage to their employees. Both consumers and companies would be slapped with penalties if they defied the government's mandates.
Insurance industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions would be banned, and insurers would no longer be able to charge higher premiums on the basis of gender or medical history. In a further slap, the industry would lose its exemption from federal antitrust restrictions on price gouging, bid rigging and market allocation.
A cheer went up from the Democratic side of the House when the bill gained 218 votes, a majority. Moments later, Democrats counted down the final seconds of the voting period in unison, and let loose an even louder roar when Pelosi grabbed the gavel and declared, "the bill is passed."
From the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement saying, "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."
If the Senate does pass a bill, it would have to be reconciled with the House version by a panel of lawmakers from both chambers before the legislation is put up for final approval.
The House bill drew the votes of 219 Democrats and Rep. Joseph Cao, a first-term Republican who holds an overwhelmingly Democratic seat in New Orleans. Opposed were 176 Republicans and 39 Democrats.
Nearly unanimous in their opposition, minority Republicans cataloged their objections across hours of debate on the 1,990-page, $1.2 trillion legislation.
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"Shame on the men who can court exemption from present trouble and expense at the price of their own posterity's liberty!"
Some would give up their freedom for a promise of security. In the end they will be neither free nor secure. If we continue down this road of yielding our liberty for empty promises we will not only have sacrificed our freedom we will leave our beloved posterity a financially bankrupt country with no hope and no future.
The Federal Government must be forced to return to its constitutional boundries. We cannot hope that the Oligarchy in Washington will self correct. We the people must reign them in.
Jefferson said,
"Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories"
If our freedom is lost we only have ourselves to blame. I for one do not want to look my grandchildren in the eyes and tell them how we used to be free. Freedom is a rare commodity in human history. It is worth fighting for. It is worth dying for.
Let us stand together and fight like our Fathers before us so we can pass to our posterity the most precious gift of all. Freedom!
2) I'll sign on for any legislation that requires our elected elite to participate equally & unequivocally with taxpayers.
3) Government is the problem - not the solution - - bigger, more is not better ! !
There is no free ride and there never has been - - - I do, and always have, taken care of me and mine - - tough times and all - - never received gov't benefits for anything in all my 72 years - -
4) I can find absolutely no gov't program that is productive, proficient, profitable (or even solvent) - - passing legislation is easy - making it work is never successful.
5) "Reform" is not takeover - clean up the fraud/waste/ineptitude in existing programs (Medicare) and there'll be enough money to fund giveaways for the actual needy - - the biggest crooks are gov't leaches with seperate benefits from those they provide to taxpayer citizens. (Your side is not better than my side - really there is no side) We're all in this together and the debt is for everybody to pay -
and that isfar too great already - -
6) Stop spending money we don't have - -
Stand on your own 2 feet and stop depending on someone else to provide for you -
DEBT IS SLAVERY ! ! !
http://www.txhealthpool.org/080109standardratetable.pdf
I'm going to move to another state so I can get Insurance in a high risk pool but it will not be Louisiana because they only pay out $125,000 per year.
http://mobile2.wsj.com/device/article.php?mid=3&CALL_URL=http://www.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704795604574519671055918380.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_opinion
Read this...you should be scared.!! The estimated premium of the pelosi plan for an individual earning 44k per year would be $5,000 per year! What a deal!! A family earning over $102,000 per year would pay $15,000 per year in premium!! But of course those who are much poorer would be eligible for a subsidy to help pay for the premium. If this is not a mssive re-distribution of wealth, I don't what is?
Lastly, to emphasize what death blow this for businesses in general. Employer would be required to pay 72.5 percent of the employee cost, which many employers, especially small employers could not afford. If the employer does not provide coverage they would pay an 8 percent tax of their payroll! Read the rest of this article. Very scary.