U.S. House passes overhaul health care reform bill

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House of Representatives passed a historic overhaul health care reform bill on Saturday night, which was considered a big boost to President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party.

By voting 220 to 215, the House approved the bill H.R. 3962, titled Affordable Health Care for America Act, after hours of debates and discussion at the whole floor.

The 2,000-page bill, combining three different versions drafted by different House committees, would cost 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars over next 10 years, and extend insurance coverage to 36 million Americans currently without health insurance.

The reform bill would lead to the biggest policy changes in the2.5 trillion-US dollar healthcare system since the U.S. government established the Medicare, a social health insurance program for the elderly, in 1965.

President Obama, who made a rare visit to Congress earlier the day to do the last-minute push for the legislation, said in a pre-voting statement that the House vote "can bring us one step closer to making real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people."

The House also voted on Saturday night 240 to 194 to pass the abortion amendment that would prohibit coverage of abortions under a government-run health care plan, as a comprise to win support from some conservative Democrats to the health care reform bill.

The floor rejected Republican alternative health care plan by 176 to 258.