Washington – Summoned to success by President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled Congress approved historic legislation Sunday night extending health care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and cracking down on insurance company abuses, a climactic chapter in the century-long quest for near universal coverage.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Widely viewed as dead two months ago, the Senate-passed bill cleared the House on a 219-212 vote, with Republicans unanimous in opposition.
Congressional officials said they expected Obama to sign the bill as early as Tuesday.
A second measure — making changes in the first — was lined up for passage later in the evening. That measure would go to the Senate, where Democratic leaders said they had the votes to pass it.
Crowds of protesters outside the Capitol shouted “just vote no” in a futile attempt to stop the historic vote taking place inside a House packed with lawmakers and ringed with spectators in the galleries above.
Across hours of debate, House Democrats predicted the central bill, costing $940 billion over a decade, would rank with other great social legislation of recent decades.
“We will be joining those who established Social Security, Medicare and now, tonight, health care for all Americans, said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, partner to Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the grueling campaign to pass the legislation.
“This is the civil rights act of the 21st century,” added Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the top-ranking black member of the House.
Congratulations, Mr. President! This is why we voted for you! After the Scott Brown win, everyone wrote you off, but you rolled your sleeves up and showed us what a real leader looks like! Thank you so much! I sense many more achievements in the future!
This scares me.
burich hashem
Boruch Hashem!
I am ecstatic. Thank you Mr. President, and thank you to everyone who worked so hard for this to pass. I am overjoyed.
So I should get ready that my premium will be 5 thousand monthly?
This gives a sure win for the republicans at the next election, Obama took it way to far…
Baruch HaShem! The 98 year wait is over.
Why all the ‘Boruch Hashem’s ?
now so many yiddishe lives will be saved
Any bill that gets passed this way – by bribing lawmakers that weren’t going to vote for it, giving their states all kinds of perks will not succeed. The president just went against the majority of the american people and will therefore loose all the support that got him onto office a year ago.
Since Medicare, Medicade, Social Security, and the VA all work so well this is a great idea!!!! (this is sarcastic)
The frum community needs to make our voices heard in November!
Till now all Canadians came to get treatment here, now we will go together to Germany? France?
The doctors don’t make money so there will be no more real medical talant. This what happened to canada and england. Your gladness over free healthcare is shortsited. Who cares about free healthcare when the the quality will go down?
Here are some thoughts I snagged from someone who was responding to accusations of “evil socialism.” Kind of long but worth it IMO.
——————————————————————-
Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised…. See More
All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer’s medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance – now Joe gets it too.
He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards.
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.
Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the tax-payer funded roads.
He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers’ Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans.
The house didn’t have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification.
B”H! Alleh v’hatzlach!
(The imbecile who commented about socialism should learn a bit of history before simply repeating the drivel fed to him by Rish and Hannity – there is no socialism here).
Obama basically told congress to have the courage to pass the bill.Courage against who?their citzens,the people of their districts who were against it.They ignored we the peolpe,we the people will vote them out.
Can somone explain in short all the pros and cons from this bill
Thank G-d we live in the good ol USA.
I guess Mr. Obama forgot Abraham Lincoln’s famous address at Gettysburg: “that government of the people, by the people for the people will not perish…”
Mr. Obama with all due respect is this healthcare legislation by the people for the people?
I don’t think so. Your poll numbers are dropping like a ton of bricks!!!
The people of this great country do not like this healthcare bill.
Your strong arm tactics in passing such a flawed bill is not becoming for a president of the United States.
This legislation is not by the people forthe people. Au contraire, the people have spoken and quite frankly They don’t like it.
We can only hope that as soon as the people vote all these socialist out of office hopefully we can roll back the clock on this terrible bill.
Yes we can!!!
I certainly hope so.
Let’s hope we can change!!!
Run as fast as u can,america is in the beginning of collapse, infected with socialism disease.
He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to.
Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn’t mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: “We don’t need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I’m a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have.”
If you get old, you will die. My mother, zol zei gezunt, is 78. she waited 6 months for an EKG & stress test in UK.
Be warned. Over here, she wouldn’t have gotten it at all. Step 1 to euthanasia, courtesy of your government. It’s a sad day for democracy. We were railroaded.
Anyone who says nothing should be done is a complete moron.
This health care package does not seem great and I did not read the 4,000 pages.
I can understand people being against this package but when people like Rush Limbaugh get up and say nothing should be done altogether I really think he is a complete moron too.
The two biggest complaints any American has unless your filthy rich is insurance and always wooried about getting sick.
People with cancer not getting converage. how about that organization in New York which helps people with cancer get the coverage they need?
The biggest brocha would be that an organization like that is not needed because people arent getting sick and the ones who are would be convered 100% and get good medical health care.
And what about the mllions that tzedaka would be saved and maybe can go towards tuition crisis instead?
I don’t have all the answers but anyone who is says nothing should be done is a complete moron.
How about going after the fraud in medicaid? This alone would save an estimated 5 billion dollars according to early estimates.
How about covering alternative medicine and rewarding people who stay healthy ?
In one way this is very good news.We’ll have a great sweep,iy”h in november.One after another of the dem’s who voted for it are from districts where polls show their people are adamantly oposed.
This is the end of the dems and obama. Stop obama he is anti american
The best part of this is that now Rush Limbaugh will be moving to Costa Rica… don’t let the door…
I’m saddened:
I’m not happy this bill passed although now I know the Democrats will loose the next elections, but this Health Care Bill is sort of irreversible it will have a huge impact on the Tax Payers.
time to pack our bags and run
If the bill is good or not is one thing, but yiden!!! we can learn from everyone on the world something ,look on obama his health care bill had up’s and down’s a few times but by the end he made, you want to know, why? If there is a will there is a way!!!! Yiden chazek vemutz!! If you want to be a erlicha yid you could!! You have to have a rutzoin
Obama is toast he buried his presidency.
wait till ur taxes go up and see how u like your wonderful president
if only this was all about improving health care…dayenu
if only the IRS wouldn’t be empowered to monitor compliance by getting access to our bank accounts…dayenu
if only we had listened to Rahm Emanuel during the transition period when he said “This is our opportunity to remake the country”…dayenu
if only BHO had been satisfied with commandeering large chunks of the economy via “bailouts” of the financial/auto/banking/now health insurance industries…dayenu
Oy meh huyah lanu. Where can a person go to live free from an invasive government?
Mr President. Win some ( health-care ) lose some ( Kansas # 1 ).
To all the Liberal celebrants:
1. Higher deficits
2. Fewer Jobs
3. Higher premiums
4. Cuts in medicare
5. Insolvency
There is a reason you lost a senate seat in Massachusetts. Even in the bluest of states people had enough sechel to know that you cant wish magical solutions into existence. All of the wonderful loving “caring” you talk about costs money and has to be provided by someone.
No one has anything against being nice to people. They are against economic irresponsibility and government control of the major choices in their lives.
And just like Medicare and Social Security were nice ideas, but are now bankrupting us, this will accelerate the economic ruin of our country (along with all of those cushy union pensions and govt. mandated bad loans).
You are so blinded by your “Chesed” side that you cant see the “Din”. And that Din is coming faster than you think.
Here r the “pro’s” of this “history in the making” obamacare that we got,
taxes r gonna b sky rocketing,
The country is gonna be in a deficit of another $940 billion, and what that means is that china is gonna b owning another 2 quarters of our country since we owe them so much already in bonds,
and u know what? Yes! Let’s say I am rich! Let’s say I can afford a premium insurance policy, is this cuba? Will the government come take all my money just like they do there?
If god forbid something really bad happens and some1 needs a specialist, god forbid there won’t b one, thanx 2 our mr. President ull only find 1 if u pay COD and that’s because it won’t pay for the doctors to do these treatments for almost free of charge and who ever will keep they’re practice open will only do it for cash, otherwise its just not worth it
And its not like this is going to b free or anything, this is going to cost a fortune and whoever won’t have insurance will get a penalty
And for the people that really can’t afford insurance and have medicaid they won’t b able to have that either because according to this bill they r going to cut million’s from medicaid and all other programs
And there is just so much more! This is such a huge mistake! Obama! What’s with u?!?! Is this how u do business? Is this change? That when u clearly c that the people of the united states don’t want this bill and ur going and pushing for it because u know that u have the majority in the house?
and even more! What about this gov. Or whoever all those guys from nj got arrested for taking bribes, what about u? U go give rides on ur air force 1 so that they vote for ur shtisem?!?! Isn’t that bribing? Shouldn’t u b arrested for that?
Well I guess u just didn’t learn from the mass. Vote, ur gonna b having a big wakeup call when its gonna b 2 late, by the november elections, the GOP is gonna rock the house! So have fun while u can because this isn’t going to last long
I’m sorry to have to say this but this reminds me of the famous quote from a pompous French monarchist minister. I forget his name but what he said was essentially that democracy could not succeed because once the great mass of peasants discover that they have the keys to the treasury, they will loot it!
Nice to see the most “eithcal congress”,have mr.rangel play a major part in their healthcare efforts.And let’s not forget a “honorary” member of the rules commitie mr. alcee hassings(d-fl)play a important role in the process,a impeached judge ,impeached by both the house and senate.The best in the debate was mr. mcgovern(d-mass)who said a whole story about someone who couldn’t acquire healthinsurance in his state.And a gop congressman pointed out to him that his state has exactly the health system idea he wants for the country,and look at it’s “sucess”.
Half of the people here against this bill are probably on medicaid. Think about that.
Here in miami we will retale the 17th congressional district, vote “dem” out!
to poster #23 You claim the doctors wont make money. don’t worry, they will make something. they have to put bread on the table too. They are partly responsible for this bill to begin with… have you ever seen a doctor bill? They make up there own procedures and pad the bills. just look at a bill and try to make sense of it.
I’m sorry to say but i have seen a complete lack of professionalism and brains in the medical industry. a bunch of lazy professionals looking forward just to paying the bills and nothing more. I had a severe foot laceration and went to Maimonides. There was a lazy russian doctor in the ER. He refused to take a MRI and insisted i could walk. he gave me a Cain to use…. guess what happened? something ruptured in my foot, my wound opened up and became worse.
The moron gave me 7 stitches when my own doctor told me i need alot more than that. until this day, my foot doesn’t work the same and i have lost sensation in a nice portion of it. Needles to say the doctors are not fully responsible for this, its primarily the ileaga…. um foreign nationals who have been abusing this program since day one. viva la revolution…
Sholom Aleichem from Bournemouth, UK!
I have lived in the United Kingdom all my life, apart from 22 years spent in EY. I was born in 1948, so I was born and I have lived all my life under the umbrella of either the British National Health Service, or Kupat Holim (in EY).
I underwent a prolonged series of diagnostic tests for a serious gastro-intestinal condition, which led to a four-hour surgical operation which, thanks to Hashem, I have survived and from which I am now recovering. I worked out that, if I had had to pay for these FREE services from the UK NHS, I would have had to pay slightly more than £360,000 which is roughly $240,000. I get all this, and every other possible medical service I will ever need from my birth, right through to the day I die, for a tiny percentage deducted from my salary. Now that I am aged 60+ I get ALL my medications for free.
Every inhabitant of Great Britain is automatically insured and entitled to FREE healthcare. Meanwhile, 40,000,000 Americans have no health insurance whatsoever.
Can one of you good American yiddn kindly explain to this Englisher greenhorn just why you all seem to object to the US healthcare bill?
Its anazing all the pro obama pro healthcare comments .. your hatred and ego for being smarter than most americans for thinking your brilliant has blinded you.as well as your anti torah views.
i am very proud of my President .when he talks People finally listen. an this was the right thing to do .i am a Senior ..an my supplement started at $ 60.00 a Month now its $250.00 a month..an medicare there are a lot of waste .over an over the take the same test .an dont find nothing . untill i had a Heart attack ,an my Goal bladder bustet .an a stroke over my Eye .an now i am blind on one .thanks to all the test the take an i had to suffer .sinse the keep telling me there was nothing wrong .no here i go again more test for a Brain tumer more in there Pocket ,an more supplement Pay .an another thing the look at there watch ,how long the with you .so you go back in couple days for the same thing over an over .its long time comming .for reform .i i want to thank the Democratic Party .for getting started but most of all .thank you President Obama
This bill insures violence against medical workers because if a person shows up for medical care without insurance they get fined $1,000, which means people will take their frustrations out on medical care staff! Hospitals and doctor’s offices will now be law enforcement agencies reporting people without health care insurance. Do not reelect anyone who voted for this bill.
As an independent business owner, this Health Care Bill is effectively a declaration of war by my government on me. There will be no reduction in the costs of health care, because our government is incapable of reducing the cost of anything. Projecting deficit relief based on taxes assumes that those of us who pay taxes will continue to work as hard as we do, no matter how much of our income the social engineers in the Democratic party attempt to extract from us. We won’t, just as the physicians who have practiced with a target painted on their backs by government won’t either. This legislation is a material expression of contempt by our political leaders for the economic engine which built this country: free-enterprise, and open-competition for markets. You may win today, but it will be a Pyrrhic victory for this country.
I don’t get any of the socialist programs, like medicaid and food stamps or HUD. I do not have health insurance because I can’t afford it and I’d rather spend my money on preventive health care and use vitamins and other supplements and alternative doctors. I don’t want my life and my money to be manipilated by the government. We need less government in our lives, not more. I don’t need to be told what to do when I am driving a car either, like whether or not to wear a seatbelt or talk on the phone. This country is going downhill fast.
The level of ignorance here is unbelievable. Do most of you even know what is in the bill?
1. There is no govt takeover of medicine. This only deals with insurance. You are still buying your insurance from the same people you always have. So, those spewing that are either falling for the work of propagandists, or people who don’t know that the bill today is not the one from a year ago (which had a public option), or people just like to lie.
2. Someone made the ridiculous comment that doctors would go to “cash only” like SOME have in countries with socialized medicine. Unlike in the UK, where most doctors are government employees, doctors will still negotiate with insurance companies for price. The government has no say as stated in the bill.
3. The true morons are the ones complaining about cuts to medicare/medicaid. I WANT cuts. I WANT them to move as many people as possible OFF the govt programs and into private plans. That actually makes SENSE!
I’m against the bill because I’m against ALL entitlements (even medicare and medicaid). A real Conservative doesn’t need lies to justify being against the bill.
I find it so hard to believe that so many yidden can really be this ignorant.
Just because something will cost $10 trillion over the next 10 years does not mean that we are adding $10 trillion to the national debt.
I listened to a group of phonies from the Republican Party today who call themselves “conservative” and I couldn’t believe my ears. John Boehner had the audacity to come out and say that the CBO was wrong in their estimates of the deficit/debt impact of the bill. This orange-skinned phony voted FOR Medicare Part D… a plan that included NO way to cut costs. The CBO finding BEFORE it was passed was that it would add $500 billion to $1 trillion in DEFICITS over 10 years (which it is on track to do). This is the same phony party whose leaders famously (and wrongly) quote Reagan by saying “deficits don’t matter”. Paul O’neil, Dick Cheney and many others have used this line many times. Reagan was specifically referring to raising deficits in order to build our military and win the Cold War… not paying for Ambien.
Both parties stink, but those who believe the FOR PROFIT Tea-Party groups are good are the biggest fools of all… just look at Scott Brown… Fools.
To all of you who are so happy with the healthy care passage. Why don’t you try getting a job, rathyer than being blood suckers living from the public dole?
for all of you who cry socialism and rail against this bill (It is not the best thing ), but accept child health coverage or any other federal or state aid, please consider your hypocracy!