Health care Bill moves to US Senate

Washington: The House of Representatives on Saturday approved the most sweeping health care legislation since the creation of Medicare 44 years ago, giving a boost to President Barack Obama's campaign to guarantee health coverage to almost all Americans.

The gargantuan Democratic measure passed 220-215 with a single Republican vote, capping a contentious day-long debate that underscored the ideological divide separating the two parties over health care.

The narrow Democratic victory underscored the difficult political road ahead as the issue moves on to the Senate. But it also meant the party has reached a historic landmark: it has been trying to win a vote to extend the government's social safety net to include health care since the Great Depression.

The House plan would cover an additional 36 million people by 2019, leaving 4 per cent of the nation without coverage, compared with the estimated 17 per cent who do not have insurance now, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

"For generations, the American people have called for affordable, quality health care for their families. Today, the call will be answered," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who rallied her members behind the legislation after weeks of cajoling and deal-making.

Obama hailed the vote in a statement from Camp David, saying, "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, and I look forward to signing comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year."

Criticism

Republicans, who have fought Obama's health care campaign for most of the year, charged Democrats with pushing the nation toward government-run health care and threatening to bankrupt the treasury at a time when the deficit is skyrocketing.

"People have a grave concern about what Washington is doing to them, not for them," Virginia Representative Eric Cantor, the No 2 House Republican, said on Saturday, citing last week's GOP electoral victories in Virginia and New Jersey. Louisiana Representative Anh "Joseph" Cao was the only Republican to cross the aisle and vote for the Bill. Thirty-nine Democrats voted against it.

The legislation — which includes more than $1 trillion (Dh3.67 trillion) of new health care spending over the next decade while also reducing the deficit by an estimated $106 billion — will ultimately have to be reconciled with the Senate Bill.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is working to unite his members in time to hold a vote on the Senate Bill before Christmas.