US House passes key
health bill
The
United States House of Representatives has passed a landmark
healthcare reform bill at the heart of President Barack Obama's
agenda.
The bill was passed by two hundred and nineteen votes to two
hundred and twelve, with no Republican backing, after hours of
fierce argument and debate.
Remarkable
It extends coverage to thirty-two million more Americans, and
marks the biggest change to the US healthcare system in decades.
In a remark after the vote, president Obama said that the
passage of the bill proved that Americans were still a people
capable of doing big things.
Obama said that though the legislation will not fix everything
that ails the healthcare system; it will move the country
decisively in the right direction.
The Challenge
However, a new challenge is expected in the Senate, where
Democrats hope amendments to the bill will be enacted by a
simple majority.
Republicans say the move is unconstitutional and plan to stop
it.
The bill's final approval represented a stunning turnaround from
January, when it was considered dead after Democrats lost their
sixty-seaty majority in the Senate, which is required to defeat
a filibuster.
The president is expected to sign the House-passed Senate bill
as early as Tuesday.
BBC/Williams/Qasim
