The House has passed the health care bill, a reform effort that almost every U.S. President has tried, and failed at, since Harry Truman. Now it is ready for President Barack Obama’s signature…
Numerous House members insisted they would not vote for the Senate bill without a clear promise that senators would approve the changes.
“This is what change looks like,” Obama said shortly after the votes. The passage of health care reform is “not a victory for any one party. … It’s a victory for the American people and it’s a victory for common sense.”
The president said successful reform proves Americans “are still a people capable of doing big things.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — who tried and failed during her husband’s presidential administration to bring about sweeping health care reform — celebrated the passage of the bill.
“If you ever doubt the resolve of President Obama to stay with a job, look at what we got done for the United States last night when it came to passing quality affordable health care for everyone,” Clinton said Monday.