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Congress Says Yes to Health Care Reform

March 22, 2010

The House of Representatives made history last night with its vote to renovate America’s health care system – extending coverage to millions of working families and ending abusive insurance industry practices.

Taking on a multimillion dollar campaign funded by big insurance companies to kill the bill, the House voted 219-212 to make health care reform a reality.

Said IBEW International President Edwin D. Hill:

This bill is a big first step on the road toward reforming our health care system so it works for everyone. Since the days of Harry Truman, comprehensive health reform has been a top priority for the labor movement. Last night Congress and President Obama made history by taking tough action against the insurance industry and making affordable and comprehensive health care coverage available for millions of working Americans.

As reported on the AFL-CIO Blog, the bill will:

• Immediately stop greed-driven insurance company abuses such as denying care based on pre-existing conditions
• Toughen penalties on employers that try to run from their responsibilities
• Put the burden of paying for health care where it belongs–on the wealthy
• Get life-saving health coverage to 30 million more people and improve coverage for millions more
• Reduce prescription drug costs for seniors and save money for small businesses.

The House bill contains most of the main features of the Senate version, which was passed with a supermajority of 60 senators on Christmas Eve.

Last night the House also passed a reconciliation bill that contains improvements to the original Senate version of the bill. The reconciliation bill now moves on to the Senate for a vote.

To watch President Hill talk about the health care bill, click below: