President Obama on Sunday praised the "historic" House vote to pass a bill overhauling the nation's ailing health care system, and said now it is time for the Senate to "take the baton" and complete its work.
The House passed its health care bill late Saturday night by a 220-215 vote, with 39 Democrats in opposition and one Republican supporting it. Senate approval is considered less certain due to opposition by all Republicans and some moderate Democrats.
Obama called the support by many House members "courageous" in the face of what he called "the heated and often misleading rhetoric around this legislation."
The overhaul legislation would be the biggest expansion of health care coverage since Medicare was created more than 40 years ago.
The Affordable Health Care for America Act, or H.R. 3962, restricts insurance companies from denying coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition or charging higher premiums based on gender or medical history. It also provides federal subsidies to those who cannot afford health insurance. And it guarantees coverage for 96 percent of Americans, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Obama: Health care baton now passes to Senate - CNN.com
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~Dude
congress & obama did some thing right for a change. I liked this health care bill from the start.