The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a health care reform bill Saturday.

The final vote was 220-215, with 218 votes needed for passage. All but one of the 178 Republican representatives — Rep. Anh Cao of Louisiana — voted against the bill, which would prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions and includes what has been described as a “weak” public option government-provided health insurance for those who cannot afford private coverage.

The 2,000-page bill also requires many employers to provide health insurance for their workers and would expand coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.

Republicans said the bill is too expensive and amounts to a government takeover of health insurance.

The vote came at the end of a daylong debate in which amendments were added to appease conservative Democrats.

The Senate is grappling with its own version of a health care reform bill, and if it passes, the two versions of the bill would have to be reconciled in a conference committee and voted on by both houses again before President Barack Obama could sign it into law.

“Tonight, in an historic vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would finally make real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people,” Obama said in a statement shortly after the vote.

“The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses and the government while strengthening the financial health of Medicare,” he said. “And it is legislation that is fully paid for and will reduce our long-term federal deficit.”

He said he hopes to sign comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-El Monte, said she supports the bill, even if it is imperfect.

“With [the] passage of H.R. 3962, America has never been closer to truly reforming our broken health care system,” she said in a statement. “The magnitude of this accomplishment cannot be overstated.

“I believe the ultimate goal of health care reform is to provide stable and affordable health care for every American while preserving what works in today’s system, expanding choice and containing costs. The Affordable Health Care for America Act accomplishes those goals by creating a public health insurance option that would compete on a level playing field with private insurers within the Health Insurance Exchange.”

Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Santa Fe Springs, also voted in favor of the bill.
“This is the health care reform bill Americans elected us to pass,” Napolitano said. “It has taken years of research and deliberation, consideration of ideas from both sides, and the efforts of seven presidents, but we are finally addressing this country’s health care problem. Once this bill is passed and signed into law, families will no longer have to live in fear of bankruptcy caused by an illness or accident, businesses will not have to bear the burden of rising health care costs, and the most vulnerable in our communities will finally be given some measure of protection.

“Health care reforms must not be put off any longer, and it is critical that this bill pass the Senate and be signed into law.”

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Cerritos, was another supporter.

“I strongly support H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act because this legislation tells families yes,” she said.

“Yes, they can afford high quality health care. Yes, they can get health insurance even if they have a pre-existing condition. Yes, they can expect to be treated fairly by insurance companies, regardless of their gender or age. Yes, they can keep their health insurance, even if they get sick.

“And yes, we can pass health reform that protects and strengthens our economy by encouraging development and use of health information technology, generic drugs, and advanced medical devices.”

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Los Angeles, praised House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership in getting the bill through the House.

“This has been without a doubt the most transparent and inclusive legislative effort that I have seen in my 17 years in Congress, and I commend Speaker Pelosi for her tenacious leadership in bringing this bill to the floor,” Roybal-Allard said.

“The Affordable Health Care for America Act is not a perfect bill. With an issue that impacts so many stakeholders and involves so many competing interests, it is doubtful any single legislative effort could ever satisfy everyone and address all the problems.

“But the fact of the matter is that we cannot afford to do nothing. Study after study has shown that under our current system things will get worse unless we act now,” Roybal-Allard continued in remarks made on the floor of the House prior to the vote. “If we are not successful in passing this health reform bill,

Americans face a 50–50 chance of losing their insurance in the next 10 years, the average family will have their already prohibitive health costs increase an average of $1,800 each year, and the rising price of medications may become unaffordable even for those with insurance.”

Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America issued a statement expressing disappointment that a public option was included in the bill.

“The House passed a bill that includes a government-run health insurance plan that would unfairly compete with the private insurance marketplace, limit consumer choice and increase the taxpayer burden,” Charles Symington of the group said in a statement. “This bill picks winners and losers, and small businesses and health care consumers are the biggest losers.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he was “encouraged” by the House vote.

“I have long supported comprehensive health care reform and I am very encouraged by the progress happening in Congress, moving the nation closer than ever before to fixing our broken health care system,” he said in a statement.

He added that more work is needed to ensure the final reform package slows the growth in health care costs, improves the quality of care and provides health insurance coverage for the uninsured, while also ensuring states are not strapped with unfunded mandates and unfair costs.

“Finding the appropriate balance will be the difference between success and failure, and I urge our federal partners on both sides of the political aisle to continue to work together to prevent this historic opportunity from slipping away,” he said.

The Republican governor’s statement was at odds with the California Republican Party, which issued a statement praising the state’s Republican congressional delegation for voting unanimously in opposition to the bill.

“California’s Republican members of Congress stood together on the side of the American people and against a giant, costly new health care bureaucracy that will transfer decisions about Americans’ health out of the hands of patients and doctors and into thousands of bureaucrats’ little cubicles in Washington, D.C.,” said California Republican Chairman Ron Nehring in a statement.

“[House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi’s legislative monstrosity will make health care more expensive for families, raise taxes, cut Medicare and put bureaucrats in between doctors and patients. Other than that, it’s a great bill,” he said.