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Obama Forges Health Reform Bill Through Congress

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Washington Barack Obama last night forced his bitterly-fought health reform bill through Congress, bringing near-universal coverage to the US and delivering the first major triumph of his presidency. The bill, which will cost an estimated $940 billion over 10 years, amounts to a massive change in US health provision, expanding care to 32 million more people, predominantly the poorest, and giving the country 95% coverage. After days of manoeuvring by the Democratic party leadership to bring dissident party legislators on board and an impassioned plea on Saturday by Obama, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, confirmed that the votes were in the bag, saying she would not have decided to take the bill to a vote unless she had secured the necessary 216 Democrats to push the move through.

Key Takeaways:

  • The health reform bill passed by 219 votes to 212, with 178 Republicans unanimously opposing it and some Democrats also voting against it.
  • The bill will cost an estimated $940 billion over 10 years and will expand care to 32 million more people, predominantly the poorest.
  • The bill will give the country 95% coverage, with President Obama promising to issue an executive order to prevent public funds from being used for abortions.
  • The passage of the bill is seen as a major triumph for Obama's presidency, with his poll ratings having slipped amid criticism that he was a "do-nothing" president.
  • The bill was opposed by the Tea Party movement, with thousands of protesters gathering outside Congress at the weekend.
  • The bill was passed after days of manoeuvring by the Democratic party leadership to bring dissident party legislators on board.
  • President Obama spent the day on the phone lobbying colleagues, with his final rallying call on Saturday telling his Democratic colleagues that the fate of his presidency and their own chances in the mid-term congressional elections in November rested on the passage of the bill.
  • The bill will lead to a massive change in US health provision, with the country moving closer to universal health coverage.
  • The bill has been passed by the House of Representatives and will now go to the Senate for passage, where procedural wrangling could last days or weeks.

Statistics:

  • The health reform bill will cost an estimated $940 billion over 10 years.
  • The bill will expand care to 32 million more people, predominantly the poorest.
  • The bill will give the country 95% coverage.
  • The bill was passed by 219 votes to 212.
  • 178 Republicans unanimously opposed the bill.
  • Some Democrats also voted against the bill.
  • The Tea Party movement opposed the bill, with thousands of protesters gathering outside Congress at the weekend.
  • The bill was passed after days of manoeuvring by the Democratic party leadership to bring dissident party legislators on board.
  • President Obama spent the day on the phone lobbying colleagues.
  • The bill will lead to a massive change in US health provision.

Sources:

  • Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian
  • Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Getty
  • Barack Obama, speech to Democratic colleagues
  • Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives
  • John Boehner, Republican leader in the House
  • Harry Reid, Democratic leader in the Senate
  • Politico website
  • The Washington Post
  • The New York Times

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