House OKs health reform bill

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By Jennifer Haberkorn and S.A. Miller

UPDATED:

The Democrat-led House late Saturday passed landmark legislation that would fulfill President Obama's call to dramatically reshape the country's health care system, passing it with just one Republican vote and establishing a new abortion ban that promises to further complicate the reform debate.

With the help of a last-minute pitch from President Obama, Democratic leaders overcame a late abortion fight and cobbled together 220 votes to pass health care reform, which many other Congresses have tried, but none has accomplished.

Related TWT article: Obama: It's the Senate's turn on health care

Along the way a bipartisan group of lawmakers who oppose abortion rights successfully included a ban on federally funded abortions in the government-run plan and some private insurance plans. Supporters of abortion rights called it a dramatic assault on an existing practice, promising to stir interest groups and further inflame the reform debate in the coming weeks.

Democrats in the House chamber cheered as the vote tally hit 218, the threshold for final passage of the reform bill, shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday. Cheers filled the chamber again as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced, "The bill is passed," and brought the gavel down.

"America and the American people are what this was about. This is not about us," said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat. "This is about people, not parties. This was about every American having access to quality, affordable health care."

The final tally was 220-215. The sole Republican "yes" vote came from Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana.

"That equals bipartisan," Mrs. Pelosi said with a laugh.

The Democrats' two-vote cushion included lawmakers who won special elections this week in New York and California.