US House clears health Bill

Washington, Nov. 8: The US House of Representatives has approved the broadest overhaul of US health care in four decades, handing President Barack Obama a hard-fought victory for his top domestic priority.

Heeding Mr Obama’s appeal to “answer the call of history,” legislators on late Saturday capped 12 hours of bitter debate with a 220-215 vote. The bill amounts to a 10-year, trillion-dollar plan to extend health coverage to some 36 million Americans who lack it now.

“Tonight, in an historic vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would finally make real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people,” Mr Obama said in a statement.

The fight shifted to the US Senate, where its fate remained unclear amid a tense intra-party dispute among Democrats anchored on what role the US government should play.

Mr Obama said he was “absolutely confident” the Senate would pass its own bill, stressing: “I look forward to signing comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year.”