Obama hails healthcare vote as historic victory

The Washington Post (Link) - Reuters - Caren Bohan & Deborah Charles (March 22, 2010)

U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday hailed the House of Representatives vote for his sweeping healthcare plan as a victory for the American people that answered the call of history.

�Today�s vote answers the prayers of every American who has hoped deeply for something to be done about a healthcare system that works for insurance companies but not for ordinary people,� Obama told reporters in the White House East Room.

He called the vote �another stone firmly laid in the foundation of the American dream� and said it would help people who lack insurance get access to coverage but would also help those who already have insurance.

�If you have health insurance this reform just gave you more control by reining the worst excesses and abuses of the insurance industry with some of the toughest consumer protections this country has ever known so that you are actually getting what you pay for,� he said.