Here’s the Roll Call for the Health Care bill that passed tonight with a 219-212 tally. Thirty-four Democrats voted against it and no Republicans voted for it. 
The Republicans are totally steamed. One, as yet unidentified, member of Congress yelled ‘Baby-Killer’ at Bart Stupak on the House floor. A quick look at Fox News showed Michael Steele and Tom DeLay still living in la la land, claiming that the bill is unconstitutional and will provide federal funding of abortions. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi just used the same gavel used to pass Medicare to gavel home the reconciliation portion of the package.
As much work still needs to be done to improve our health care system, President Barack Obama has already sealed his place in history as one of the most consequential presidents our country has ever seen. He made some mistakes along the way, but he got it done. He wanted to be a transformational president. Barely more than a year into his first term, he is already that.
[At left, Obama reacts to passage]
The 34 noes:
Arcuri is a dead man walking…stupid to cross the NY unions in that fashion. McMahon really doesn’t have an excuse either. Lynch is stupid to vote against this (but for reconciliation), Artur Davis is deluded into thinking he’ll be the next governor of Alabama and that voting no will help him in any material fashion, and Larry Kissell is just a huge disappointment after all the netroots help he got in the past.
Not terribly worked up about the rest of the ‘no’ votes, although I think if Altmire represented a less competitive district he would’ve been a ‘yes’.
I forgot to mention, my condolences to Jane Hamsher.
Well played, sir.
Oh no, you di’int!
Ha!
Now we can set about fixing it – and then maybe you & Jane will have something to cheer about together.
Yes! Tantrum Fail!
I can’t figure out why Arcuri voted for the House version and against this one. It makes no sense, because he will get hammered anyway, as will all of the Democratic ‘nays.’ In Arcuri’s case it is especially painful because he had shown so much courage until now. This vote makes putting Zack Space on Energy and Commerce – already packed with Blue Dogs – a real sore point. I will be interested to see if McMahon can hold his seat – but strictly from a sporting point of view, because he hasn’t shown much of anything a New York City Republican wouldn’t have shown.
It’s just stunning to me that in Illinois, with Dem representatives from every part of the state — Chicago, the burbs, downstate — Lipinski, “representing” working-class Chicago and suburban districts, is the ONLY one who voted against the bill. Even Melissa Bean ended up voting for it.
Lipinski is an airhead little prince who was handed his job by his machine henchman daddy. I was willing to cut him some slack because he’s OK on some issues like the environment, but this is too much. He does not represent his district. He’s got to go. I nominate him for action by ActBlue, MoveOn, and the gang.
I’m glad.
To do something so monumental (and I know it’s not perfect) in a year’s time? Amazing.
Herseth Sandlin should really just switch parties. I hope Hildebrand does decide to run against her. She’s been voting on the wrong side of things for so long – what a waste of a Dem. Rep.
Yeah, the abandoned poster-child of blogarific activism.
she’s the one I donated to who gave the money back.
Don’t mess with Obama. He’s a proven winner when he has his heart and mind into it. I can’t wait for the next big fight – immigration – as the Dems now have confidence they can overcome the MSM, teabaggers and the like.
Seems more likely the next fight will be financial reform, no?
Thank you, President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and the House and Senate Democratic leadership for taking an historic first step toward fixing our broken health care system. As the spouse of a young adult cancer patient, I am especially grateful that my family, and millions of other Americans, will not have to worry about being denied coverage due to a pre-existing health condition.
And, thank you Senator Ted Kennedy for passionately fighting for health care reform over your entire career. This victory could not have been achieved without your decades of tireless advocacy.
Booman, or anyone else, do you have an outline of the bill in simple short language for me to pass around?
Never mind, I found one:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1914020220100319
Here’s a better one.
This whole experience will toughen the Democrats immeasurably — they have been called names and screamed at by idiots, and survived — there’s nothing like shared experience in the trenches to make people realise they must either hang together or they will hang separately.
Having watched the House leadership press conference after the vote, I believe you are right, and it is a really important point, especially considering the recent history of this particular party. The Democratic Party was so demoralized, first by its own fringe groups, then by the sociopathic GOP, and finally by its own “Republican Lite” DLC wing. I see this is as yet another indispensable step in a transformation of the Democratic party that began in 1994 under the leadership of Dr. Howard Dean. I shudder to think what would happen to this country withou tit.
YEE-HAW!
This is a great day for America.
Sing along for the Republicans.
…and let a voice from the wilderness of SillyCon Valley recommend that our Congress-Critters have their security details in extra-high gear for the next little while, since the Tea Baggers and those even more crazy will certainly try to make good on the threats we saw on so many signs these last few days/weeks/months.
I still wonder what it is about being a good Christian, in the best tradition of Christ himself that brings out such insane hatred? Time to meditate under a waterfall, I s’pose…..
All I can say is: fuck yes.
definitely a good day.
as for the No’s..
every last one of them needs to be primaried.
I’m no better off on health care than I was under bush – worse off by over $100 a month on my COBRA actually and soon to be left with no insurance at all.
Obama won the vote but the only good thing about the bill is the title. Look at WellPoint’s graph for the last week:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=WLP&t=5d
Thanks to the failure of healthcare reform, the graph of my rapidly decreasing savings is the inverse of that.
I sympathize with your difficulties, as a fellow person of relatively meager means right now, also on COBRA. But can’t you acknowledge how much this bill will help so many humble folks?
How can you so quickly dismiss the ban on denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, just for one example? Are you actually arguing, as many Republicans do, that just because you may not reap the most benefit from this bill that it should not have been passed?
Let’s try an exercise: think, for just a moment, about someone other than yourself.
I also urge you to reconsider the twisted logic that dictates that as long as insurance companies get more customers, the American people lose. The insurance companies may have achieved a partial victory in this effort, but so have the American people. I’m not thrilled if the insurance companies make more money because of this, but I’ll hold my nose if it allows them to control costs and provide less expensive insurance to those who need it most.
Let’s watch and see how this evolves, and whether the additional steps that we agree are necessary are taken. Let’s watch and see the effects of this bill on all the people it will help. And let’s watch and see if maybe this doesn’t help us all out, especially the least fortunate among us. Because isn’t this all really about them, and not you?
Now the fixing begins, starting with the House Reconciliation bill.
And the wait to see where polls are six weeks from now.
” Most Progressive Legislation in My Lifetime Passes “
And you’re how old?
“Most Progressive Legislation in My Lifetime Passes” —that’s an indictment of the political system, not a cause for a boast.
So, maybe when you’re what, sixty+ years old you can boast about another piece of “progressive legislation”, huh?
yeah, it was called the Reagan Revolution. Lasted 30 years.
It’s no hype that this is a truly historic moment. However unsatisfactory many of the details may be, we are seeing a perceptual shift that will not be undone. There are still those bitching about how we could have gotten more if only Obama… if only Reid… if only Pelosi… if only the Dems …. There may or may not be some truth in that, but the only thing we know for sure is that a century-long battle has finally been won.
Everything I’ve heard from all the leadership — Obama, Pelosi, Hoyer, Waxman and the rest — is exactly what I was hoping for: This is a historic day, this is the beginning of change. The legislation is not perfect, it is a work in progress, a beginning, not an end. If they can maintain that message throughout the campaigns, the celebration balanced by an implicit promise that there’s more to be done, I think Dem prospects — and especially good-Dem prospects — are immeasurably better than what the pundits and their Rep buddies are peddling.
thank you president, keneddy also did his work.
print stickers | printed stickers