The U.S. House of Representatives passed its health care reform bill on Saturday by a whisker, with a 220-215 vote.
Democrat support was high, with 39 Democrats in opposition and one Republican in support.
The Affordable Health Care for America Act, or H.R. 3962, guarantees coverage for 96 percent of Americans. Insurance companies will be restricted from denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition or charging higher premiums due to gender or medical history, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office as reported by CNN.
“Now it falls on the United States Senate to take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people, and I’m absolutely confident that they will,” President Barack Obama said in a brief speech from the Rose Garden.
If the Senate passes its version of the bill, the two proposals will have to be merged into one version, which will require Obama’s signature, as well as the final approval from each chamber, before taking effect.
The single Republican who voted in favor of the bill, Anh “Joseph” Cao, said he did so in order to better serve his constituents from Louisiana’s 2nd District.
“I felt last night’s decision was the proper decision for my district even though it was not the popular decision for my party,” Cao told CNN. “A lot of my constituents are uninsured, a lot of them are poor. It was the right decision for the people of my district.”
It is difficult to determine when the bill can be brought to the floor, since Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced a version of health care reform to the Senate.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., has threatened to join a Republican filibuster against the reform bill. This filibuster would require 60 democratic votes to overturn.
He told “Fox News Sunday” that Democrats can count him in the “no” column if they keep in a government-backed insurance plan.
“If the public option is in there as a matter of conscience, I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote,” Lieberman said.
Both Republicans and conservative Democrats came to an agreement that an amendment should be passed to prohibit federal funds for abortion services, except in the case of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger.
“I believe we’re going to pass health care reform. I believe we must do this because it’s essential to not just the quality of life, here, but our economic success in the future,” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said on “Face the Nation.” “We are far from the end of the debate in the Senate. It will take time. It will be careful, thorough and deliberate.”
