House Democrats Unveil $894B Health Care Bill
HUMA KHAN and JONATHAN KARL
ABC News
Oct 29, 2009
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., today unveiled the House Democrats' broad new $894 billion health care bill, saying it will provide "universal quality affordable health care for all Americans."
President Obama praised the bill, saying it would benefit small businesses and that those ones that participate in a government-run health care plan could save a quarter on their premiums by 2016.
"As I've said throughout this process, a public option that competes with private insurers is the best way to ensure choice and competition that are so badly needed in today's market. And the House bill clearly meets two of the fundamental criteria I have set out: it is fully paid for and will reduce the deficit in the long term," the president said in a written statement.
The cost of the "Affordable Health Care for America Act" falls under Obama's $900 billion threshold and is considerably lower than the initial estimate of $1 trillion.
Pelosi has said she wants to see debate begin on the bill by next week, with a vote before Veterans Day. Some Congressional aides say Democrats may not move on a full vote until they have assured there will be ample votes to pass the legislation on the House floor. The bill still has a long way to go before it makes it way to Obama's desk. The House legislation would have to merged with Senate legislation and key differences remain, especially on the type of public option plan that should be included.
This is a "historic moment for our nation and our families," said Pelosi, speaking on the steps at the West Front of the Capitol building. "The drive for health care reform is moving forward."
Congress is "on the cusp of delivering on the promise of making affordable, quality health insurance available to every American -- and laying the foundation for a brighter future for generations to come," she added.
The legislation would insure 36 million more Americans in the next 10 years, covering 96 percent of all Americans, Pelosi said. That is more than the Senate bill currently being negotiated, which would cover an estimated 29 million additional people.
The speaker also said the bill would not add a dime to the deficit, an important factor considering Obama has said he will not a sign any legislation which does so.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill would cut the deficit by about $30 million in the first 10 years.
"What a day for Americans and what a day for our people," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said. "Today we are one step further on one long, hard road."
The proposed legislation would also expand Medicaid coverage and provide more support to low-income citizens.
Republicans, as expected, assailed the Pelosi bill, saying its 1,990 pages don't reflect any change.
House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, billed it as a "government takeover of the health care system."
"It's not the just the so-called government option, it's the over 50-mandates, bureaucracies, tax hikes -- All of this is going to require tens of thousands of new federal employees, which is clearly designed for a government takeover of our healthcare system," Boehner, with a printout of the entire bill in front of him, told reporters. "How are we going to fix out health care system with 1,990 pages of bureaucracy?"
"It's not the just the so-called government option, it's the over 50-mandates, bureaucracies, tax hikes -- All of this is going to require tens of thousands of new federal employees, which is clearly designed for a government takeover of our healthcare system," Boehner, with a printout of the entire bill in front of him, told reporters. "How are we going to fix out health care system with 1,990 pages of bureaucracy?"