Two hundred eighteen Representatives, all of them Democrats, have now voted “Yea” on final passage of the House version of health care reform. And that’s all she wrote.
In the sixty years since Harry Truman started the process of passing a true national health coverage plan, neither house had ever passed a bill.
Update 11:14 pm. Pelosi brings down the gavel and says “The bill is passed.” Final vote 220-215, with 1 Republican (Anh Cao of Louisiana) doing the right thing and 39 Dems the wrong one.
The Stupak anti-abortion amendment passed handily; now we see whether that comes out in Conference.
Man, it’s been a long slog and it’s not over yet. I’m still not sure how this will end.
And to get it done, she had to violate her pledge to let people see what was in the bill before it was voted on. YOU may think this sort of thing is a triumph of democracy, I think it’s the death throws.
Re the claim about Pelosi’s “violating her pledge”: “Pelosi’s office posted both the text of the bill and the “manager’s amendment” — which The Sunlight Foundation called an “extra final version of legislation” — 72 hours in advance.” (http://mediamatters.org/research/200911060016)
Here’s the link again: http://mediamatters.org/research/200911060016
Two hundred and fifteen representatives think that the consequences of the bill will be worse than 45,000 people dying each year from lack of adequate health insurance. Amazing. (Or did they have a motive other than preventing something worse than 45,000 deaths per year for voting against the bill?)
What’s a death throw? A comforter with the Jolly Roger on it?
No, it’s where they put people awaiting capital punishment.
“Two hundred eighteen Representatives, all of them Democrats”
You forgot about Cao.
That’s half the battle. Now it goes to the Senate, where the negotiations, filibustering, and all manner of shenanigans and modifications will occur.
Anonymous, I didn’t forget about Cao. The original post went up when the 218th “Yes” vote was recorded. All were Democrats. Cao came in at the end. I don’t know whether his vote would have been available if required to put the bill over the top.
A death throe, w/ an ‘e,’ is typically a transitory thing, & I think what Brett Bellmore is alarmed about went on for a very long time. (I grant he may have been upset all those many years.) Anyway, long or short, I think it’s a bit flamboyant to call House passage, w/ or w/o floor amendments, the death throes of democracy.
Sorry about that, Mark. But I think that Cao would have voted yes because of the demographics of his district even if his vote was the one to pass the bill.
“A death throe, w/ an ‘e,’ is typically a transitory thing”
Brett was probably using the alternative measure.
Brett, are you going to acknowledge that you have been proven wrong on this point?
Tentatively, yeah.