US health reform passes final vote

Controversial reforms to the US healthcare system have passed a final Congress vote after a series of Republican objections.

The US House of Representatives voted 220 to 207 to back the bill’s amendments and allows President Obama to pen the final signature passing the changes into law.

It rings in the largest changes to the US healthcare system since the reforms by President Johnson in the 1960s and will extend health insurance coverage to 32 million more Americans.

The bill came away relatively unscathed for the Democrats with only two minor points on procedure being deleted, but the reforms has reinforced bitter divisions along party lines.

Every Republican congressman voted against the passing of the bill and the party has vowed to repeal the bill if they win control of Congress after the November mid-term elections.

Republican House leader John Boehner said: “This has been a sombre week for the American people. With the stroke of a pen, President Obama signed away another share of Americans’ freedom.”

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said: “Republicans … will continue to fight until this bill is repealed and replaced.”

President Obama remained defiant, stating that: “If they [the Republicans] want a fight, I welcome that fight.”

He added: “I don’t believe the American people are going to put the insurance industry back in the driver’s seat. We’ve been there already and we’re not going back.”

The reforms have general backing from US industry body PhRMA, which said: “We believe comprehensive health care reform will benefit patients and the future of America.

“That’s why we have been involved in this important public policy debate for more than a year and why we supported the final health care reform bill and the amendments found in the reconciliation legislation.”