After heated debate, U.S. Senators voted Thursday the historic reform of health coverage in the United States. They must now agree on a final text with the House of Representatives.
The senators of the United States voted to reform health insurance. A compromise between Democrats and heated debates with the Republicans, The text aims to provide health insurance to 31 of the 36 million Americans who do not. The senators approved the text by 60 votes against 39, or without any voice of Republican opposition.
The bill is historic since President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909), several generations of politicians have tried unsuccessfully to reform the health system of the United States.
“Very enthusiastic”
In an interview with The Washington Post Tuesday, December 22, Barack Obama said “not supporting the bill (only) the lip. I am very enthusiastic about what we have achieved.” He assured that the essence of the reform has not been altered; the Senate has made “95%” of what he had promised.
“Are these pieces of legislation containing exactly what I want? Of course not. But they include the necessary measures to reduce costs (of health) for businesses, families and the state,” he pleaded.
The text of the Senate, unlike the previously voted in the House of Representatives last November 7, does not create an insurance fund run by the state in competition with private insurers. Barack Obama has acknowledged that the famous “public option” had “become a source of contention between the left and right.”
Democratic Majority
The right wing of the Democratic Party has long battled and finally got satisfaction to exclude the device from the final bill.
An initial vote to close the debate has already occurred on the night of 20 to 21 December last. The Democratic majority has proved on this occasion she was receiving 60 votes now out of 100 for the adoption of the draft. It may thus prevent an obstruction of the Republicans in approving the text: neither of them has also voted to close the debate.
U.S. opposition to any attempt to block the reform that they believe it will worsen the deficit and will raise the price of insurance policies.
Republican Opposition
The Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday, December 22 that the “final vote in the Senate is not the final vote. The discussions will continue in effect in January between the House of Representatives and Senators to merge the two versions of the text.
In this final stage of the bill, the Democratic leader, Harry Reid, told the press: “We are focused on the adoption of this bill in the Senate. We’ll take care of things to come later.
And discussions between the two chambers should be strained, including the public option or the issue of using government funds for abortion.
