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House Dems Bask in Glory After Passing Health Care Reform Bill

November 08, 2009 7:28 AM

ABC News' John R. Parkinson reports: “Oh what a night!” Speaker Nancy Pelosi proudly proclaimed at a press conference immediately following passage of the health care bill.

Amid much back-slapping, congratulatory handshakes and laughter, Speaker Pelosi revealed she and other leaders had just finished a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama, and she was quick to return the praise.

“I thank him for his leadership because of the White House this wouldn’t have been possible,” Pelosi said. “He gave us the momentum to get this done and we’re very proud of our success.”

The vote passed 220-215 with 39 Democrats voting against the bill, and one Republican supporting the sweeping plan. Asked by ABC News how Democrats were able to secure a Republican vote and whether that equates to bipartisan support, the Speaker was blunt: “The Democrats voted for the bill and a Republican voted a bill; that equals bipartisan,” Pelosi said. “But we are very proud to take responsibility and credit for this great victory because it was obviously largely with Democratic votes.”

“It’s not about us or questions of who did what, it’s about the American people, as they sit around the kitchen table trying to figure out what happens if they lose their insurance or jobs, that that worry is over for them,” Pelosi said.

Other Democrat leaders called Speaker Pelosi one of the greatest House Speakers in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“The victory we experienced was a team effort,” Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee said. “But there’s only one team leader I want to single out and that is Leader Pelosi. When the President spoke to our caucus he said that she would emerge as one of the all-time greatest Speakers of the House. She is already at that point.”

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called today’s vote a victory for the American people, saying the vote was more about them than members of Congress.

 “This was about people not party,” Hoyer said. “This was about making sure every American has access to quality, affordable healthcare.”

November 8, 2009 in Congress, Health Care | Permalink | Share | User Comments (17)

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When will Obama tell them that he will not sign this bill because he promised that he would not sign any bill over 900 billion or was that promise to the american people another LIE.

Posted by: earl | Nov 8, 2009 7:52:37 AM

"When will Obama tell them that he will not sign this bill because he promised that he would not sign any bill over 900 billion or was that promise to the american people another LIE."

Obama will sign any bill, regardless of what's in it or what it costs.

If this bill becomes law, premiums are going to skyrocket. Employers will also drop employee health insurance and tell their workers to go on the government plan. It's going to be a disaster.

Posted by: Mary | Nov 8, 2009 8:03:16 AM

Figured I'd find Republicans whining and sniveling this morning. Don't know when the GOP is going to get it through their thick heads that the majority of Americans are sick of'em. Americans aren't going through life scared by the big old boogy man Dem party that the GOP tries to portray them as. You can take your little tea-party people and jump off a cliff, but don't expect the majority of Americans to follow you.

Posted by: Trent | Nov 8, 2009 8:14:26 AM

Nancy Pelosi will be history worthy of one of the "great legislators" of this generation......

Posted by: sara | Nov 8, 2009 8:33:02 AM

Kudos for Rep. Chao of Louisianna.....he IS the conscience of this country.........people before his own selfish agenda!!!

Posted by: sara | Nov 8, 2009 8:34:57 AM

The "Band of Brothers of No" should be ashamed of themselves......talking only about their political future...I say don't worry, after you are out of there, you will still recieve 135,000 a year in pension, receive the Best Medical Care that the American Taxpayers can Afford YOU! Then you will go and WORK for the Special Interest that works for GREED, not the American people.

Posted by: sara | Nov 8, 2009 8:38:30 AM

"Nancy Pelosi will be history worthy of one of the "great legislators" of this generation......"

Actually, she'll be noted in history books as one of the catalysts for the Second American Revolution.

Posted by: Mary | Nov 8, 2009 8:42:04 AM

"Kudos for Rep. Chao of Louisianna.....he IS the conscience of this country"

LOL! Cao replaced convicted felon Democrat William Jefferson. He represents a welfare district and is hardly the "conscience of this country."

Posted by: Mary | Nov 8, 2009 8:53:06 AM

This is every bit as bad as anything Dumbya ever did. We need a third party.

Posted by: jan | Nov 8, 2009 9:10:18 AM

I agree with Hoyer. The passing of health care reform is NOT a victory for the Democratic party. It is definitely NOT a victory for President Obama.

It is a VICTORY for the 50 million people who cannot get health insurance. It is a VICTORY for the millions of people who are denied coverage and left to die because of a "pre-existing" condition. It is a VICTORY for women who have had C-Sections or who have been victims of domestic violence, who are denied health insurance. It is a VICTORY for women who must often pa 48% more for health insurance than men.

It is also a VICTORY for a number of unborn children whose lives may now be saved because their mothers can get the pre-natal health care they need. (According to the 2009 CIA Fact Book, our infant mortality rate is twice as high as the infant mortality rate of countries like Sweden and France. According to a study released by CDC, one of the major reasons for our infant mortality rate is inadequate pre-natal care.)

So the passage of health care reform is a VICTORY for the people against the greedy for-profit insurance industry which uses death panels to decide who lives and dies and which rations health care according to your wealth. I am sure President Obama would agree with me.

Posted by: William Joseph Miller | Nov 8, 2009 10:22:06 AM

All of the conservatives are having hissy fits because of the "cost" of health care reform. Yet these same conservatives claime to be "Christians." I clearly remember that during the 2004 Republican convention, conservatives affixed a cross to the speaker's podium.

According to the Gospel, Jesus spent most of his time healing the sick. He never asked them about their HMO, nor did he refuse to heal anyone becaue they had pre-existing conditions. He also told the rich man to "sell all you have and give to the poor." Therefore, health care reform should not be called ObamaCare, it should be called JesusCare.

So the victory for health care reform is really a victory for Jesus Christ, and those of us who truly believe in the teachings of Jesus (rather than Wall Street greed.)

Posted by: William Joseph Miller | Nov 8, 2009 10:28:51 AM

"So the victory for health care reform is really a victory for Jesus Christ, and those of us who truly believe in the teachings of Jesus (rather than Wall Street greed.)"

LOL! Wow. That post is probably one of the stupidest ever in these blogs.

Speaking of greed, Politico recently published an article showing that 4 out of 5 millionaires in Congress are Democrats. Seems they're not into spreading their own wealth around, eh?

Posted by: Mary | Nov 8, 2009 10:51:28 AM

Democrats also "basked in glory" after passing NAFTA. Millions of jobs were outsourced after that. The manufacturing sector was devastated.

The lie of "health care reform" will only increase labor costs and create even higher unemployment and outsourcing in the future. It's just simple economics.

So how's that Hope and Change working for you?

Posted by: Jenn | Nov 8, 2009 11:04:35 AM

The treasury got emptied by the last administration throwing money at a needless war and Haliburton.

Posted by: zane | Nov 8, 2009 11:52:36 AM

Time to write a letter to the Chinese and tell them that you are going to quit your job and live on the government dole. Let Obama and the rest of the idiots figure out how to borrow money for their pipe dreams when nobody will lend it to them. Oh don't forget to write one to the Arabs too so they will know that if they keep buying T-bills nobody in this country is working and there is no revenue coming into the federal treasuary.

Posted by: Sandcrab1613 | Nov 8, 2009 1:03:34 PM

There is no provision in this bill to exclude illegal aliens. They will have access to federal dollars to pay for their insurance under the Pelosi plan.

It appears Rep Wilson was correct when he confronted Obama for lying about that.

Posted by: Joe White | Nov 9, 2009 7:49:27 AM

How dare you say people are sick of the Republicans. I am a Republican and I am proud of it. You will see if these scoundrels in the WH get this government take over healthcare thru. They are nothing but liers and I know the Lord will bring his wrath down on them for all the lies and deception they have done to the American. I am an American that cried when this government healthcare went thru Congress because I know that the poor people that have no job, no home, and no money are homeless and if the Democrats have anything to do with it there will be alot more people out of work. The only thing they are interested in is taking over our country and putting us in the soup line. If they wanted to help these poor people they would have seen to it there were jobs created for these people but no the only thing that the Dings Bats wanted was for their own selfish selves. When you have to stand in the soup line with the rest of us you will see what these evil people have done to us, but I guarantee these people that voted for the bill will not be voted in next year. I am disabled and have a handicapped daughter, a senior citizen, my husband is retired, and we are on a strict budget. You are the one unless you work for the government that will have to pay those big taxes when they come into effect. I have no use for Rep Chao and I will let everyone else know that he isn't a true Conservative Republican and I know the American people are very mad with him, so Mr Chao you better be looking for another job.

Posted by: rhonda | Nov 9, 2009 8:23:15 PM

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