House Bill Adds Hate-Crime Coverage for Gays

Obama, Pelosi, GOP come out looking good; flip-floppers, not so much

(NEWSER) - The winners and losers of the health care reform battle will take years to determine, but Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post has some early choices. The winners:

• President Obama: "He ran on doing big things and now will have health care to show for that pledge when he asks for re-election in November 2012."
• Nancy Pelosi: The speaker "does her best work outside of the public glare. And her best work is remarkably good."

President calls health reform bill 'a victory for common sense'

(AP) - President Obama says the health care legislation the House passed tonight is "a victory for the American people" and "a victory for common sense." The bill "will not solve every problem" in the health care system, the president said, but "moves us in the right direction." Obama praised Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats for getting the bill through, saying they proved that the government "still works for the people." More»

Historic measure advances after late deal-making

(NEWSER) - Cheers erupted on the floor of the chamber as the House passed the Senate health care reform bill tonight, 219-212, after a late compromise on abortion funding gave Democrats the votes they needed to advance the historic measure. The vote followed 9½ hours of contentious debate that wrapped up with an impassioned speech by Nancy Pelosi. "We may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us," said the speaker, who compared the legislation to Social Security and Medicare. More»

House majority leader, whip confident about health reform passage

(NEWSER) - Health care reform legislation will sail through the House of Representatives in Sunday's vote, Steny Hoyer says. “We'll have the votes when the roll is called,” the majority leader tells Politico . Democrats haven’t lined up enough yeas for President Obama’s key domestic agenda, but the majority whip seems as confident as Hoyer. “The bill will pass,” says James Clyburn. More»

President rallies Democrats as House debates bill

(NEWSER) - President Obama rallied the Democratic troops today and told the nation that "this is our moment to deliver" on health care reform. In a brief Rose Garden address that took place as the House debated its long-awaited bill, Obama again stressed the need for reform and urged lawmakers to "answer the call of history." Representatives are expected to vote on the final measure sometime today, and Nancy Pelosi sounds confident, notes Politico . More»