218 votes is what the Democrat's version of the healthcare bill needed to pass. It received 220. At just about 11:08 EST, H.R. 3962 passed 220-215 with the support of 1 Republican, Rep. Cao of Louisiana. Meanwhile, 39 Democrats were counted among the 215 nays.
The House version of the bill was always going to be the easier one to pass as Senate procedure could delay a vote on that house's version of the bill until after the new year. Even still, there were doubts leading up to tonight's vote as concerns over funding were leading some fiscally responsible Democrats to question some of the bill's costlier provisions. The result, however, backed up predictions by House Democrat leadership that it had the votes to pass a bill.
Going forward, the interplay between House and Senate will likely result in legislation that looks different than the bill passed tonight, and there is still a long way to go before any final bill reaches the President's desk. However, tonight's vote will certainly be viewed favorably by many proponents of healthcare reform and is another in a series of steps toward the type of change many Americans envisioned when they went to the polls just about a year ago. One can only hope that it is not also another in a series of steps toward the time-tested cliche beginning 'be careful what you wish for...'
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