Health Care passes 219-212
It’s done. Roll Call is here. Next stop the Senate, then reconciliation. Then the President’s desk. Like I said, it is a bill that leaves a lot to be desired for true progressive Health Care reformers.
By a razor thin margin of 219-212, the House of Representatives tonight passed far-reaching legislation that will lead to near-universal health care coverage in the United States — a goal that has eluded Presidents and Congresses for a century.
The vote concluded at 10:48 p.m., almost 10 hours after Democrats gavelled the chamber into session, confident the vote would be there. The bulk of reform will now be enrolled and signed into law, while a separate, smaller package is expected to go to the Senate, where Democrats are expected to muster the 51 votes needed to pass it. The vote on the reconciliation package is expected within the House within the hour.
Oh the thin margin? TPM had this to say
The precision was vintage Pelosi, who has passed practically the entire Democratic platform by intentionally narrow margins, allowing members in vulnerable districts to keep a safe distance from the President and his agenda, both of which have agitated the Republican base.
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Thin margin? That’s Rove’s 50 +1 strategy. The repugs should have no problem with that.
50% plus 1 is a political strategy - not unique to Karl Rove. First I heard of it was in DFA campaign training a few years ago.
What I was trying to say is that procedurally the repugs have no reason to complain about the way this thing passed, but they’re going to make it look like the dems committed a high crime.