RC: Madame Speaker, throw out this bill!
LB: It did not come without a fight. Demonstrators and opposition lawmakers rallied against it on Capitol Hill.
JB: This bill is the greatest threat to freedom that I have seen in the 19 years I have been here in Washington.
LB: But late Saturday night, the deal in the House was done.
NP: The yeas are 220, the nays are 215. The bill is passed.
LB: Just one Republican voted for it, and 39 Democrats said no. But now, the healthcare bill is headed for the Senate. In its current form, it requires every American to have health insurance. Individuals must buy it. Companies must provide it or pay a fee. It also makes it illegal for insurers to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
BO: What's in our grasp right now is the chance to prevent a future where every day, 14,000 Americans continue to lose their health insurance, and every year, 18,000 Americans die because they don't have it.
LB: President Obama urged the Senate to forge ahead. That's easier said than done. The House bill includes an amendment sharply restricting coverage for abortions, which some insurance plans now pay for.
BS: We should not be having public funds, or federal funds, help pay for abortions.
LB: Abortion rights supporters urged Democrats not to support a bill without that coverage. Democrats and Republicans agree on no coverage for illegal immigrants, but not much else. The big fights ahead will likely be over who will pay for the bill and what role government will play. A final vote could come as late as 2010. Laurel Bowman, VOA News, Washington.
标题
Health Reform Passes U.S. House (VOA)
视频介绍
Voice of America - November 10, 2009
Report on the final passage of healthcare reform legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
