HISTORIC VOTE

by Press Secretary for Majority Whip Jim Cluburn, Kristie Greco...

For the first time in nearly a century, since Teddy Roosevelt first attempted, a body of Congress passed comprehensive reform of our nation’s health insurance system.

The 220 to 215 bipartisan vote came just after 11:00 p.m. last night – after more than 100 committee hearings, 181 witnesses, 83 hours in markups, 239 amendments considered and 121 approved, and more than 3,000 town halls and public events in Members’ districts.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act will provide every American citizen access to quality, affordable patient-centered health care—while reducing the deficit and lowering costs—instead of leaving Americans at the mercy of a health insurance industry calling the shots and rationing our health care.

The bill must now be merged with legislation under consideration in the U.S. Senate.

MORE THAN 300 MAJOR SUPPORTERS
Tens of millions of Americans are represented by the more than 300 major groups supporting the Affordable Health Care for America Act—including:
AARP,
Consumers Union,
The American Medical Association,
The American Nurses Association,
The American Heart Association,
The American Cancer Society, and
The Young Invincibles youth coalition.
See the list here.


WHITE HOUSE WEIGHS IN
President Obama personally delivered his best vote pitch to a Saturday Democratic Whip Meeting, following a strong statement of support specifically for the House bill: “The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act … ”; “This bill provides the necessary health reforms that the Administration seeks – affordable, quality care within reach for the tens of millions of Americans who do not have it today, and stability and security for the hundreds of millions who do”; “… the House bill is fully paid for and will help to reduce the deficit in the long-term”; “… and urges quick action on this landmark bill.”


MIT STUDY SHOWS LOWER PREMIUMS
Adding to the momentum going into the vote, an analysis of H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act, by MIT economist Jonathan Gruber compared premiums for the millions of Americans who will be using the new Health Insurance Exchange under the House bill to premiums under current law for those using the “non-group” insurance marketplace. The Gruber analysis shows that, on the Exchange, even individuals and families getting no subsidies will pay lower premiums under the House bill than under current law.


“GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE” DEBUNKED
“The claim that the House bill would amount to "government-run health care" suffered a blow last week …” reads a good article from FactCheck.org – a nonpartisan project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center – debunking the top Republican attack on the Affordable Health Care for America Act. “In any case, whether 6 million people take up the "public plan" (CBO) or 12 million (the Lewin Group’s high-end estimate), neither number comes close to backing up the GOP claim that this bill would "drive every private health insurance company out of business" and result in "government-run" health care.” The full article is here.


REPUBLICAN “PLAN”
The reviews were unkind to the last minute Republican health care substitute bill—especially after the non-partisan CBO reported it would insure virtually no new Americans over 10 years, lets insurance companies keep discriminating against Americans with a pre-existing condition like heart disease or asthma … and had less deficit reduction than the Democrats’ bill. The New York Times summed it up: “Republican health care reform isn’t health care reform.” The editorial is here.


PROGRESS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
The House health insurance reform vote caps off a string of substantive legislative accomplishments, including extended unemployment benefits, first time homebuyer tax credit, and a small business tax break extended and expanded to struggling medium and large businesses all signed into law this week.


THIS WEEK
Members return home this week following an historic vote to meet with constituents and participate in Veterans day activities. The House is scheduled to return to session, Monday November 16, 2009.