Health care bill passes House in rare Saturday evening vote 220-215

H.R. 3962 passed by a two-vote margin last night in the U.S. House. If the Senate gathers enough votes for a similar but not identical bill (most definitely not a given, but recent talks in that chamber do indicate a different bill with an opt out provision for states), the legislation will go to a conference committee made up of congressional leaders and key committee chairmen from both chambers. There, with plenty of input from the White House, the most powerful members of Congress would fight it out in private before a new bill is drafted. The New York Times has an interactive map showing how the House voted. Here in Arkansas, Berry and Snyder voted yes, Boozman and Ross voted no.

Overall, 39 Democrats voted against the measure and one Republican supported it. The bill provides coverage for 36 million uninsured, provides subsidies for those who can't afford it, prevents individuals who receive insurance subsidies from purchasing any plan that pays for elective abortions, and it prohibits insurers from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.