Healthcare reform

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $1.2 trillion healthcare reform package, shifting attention for further legislative action to the U.S. Senate.

The House vote late Saturday was 220-215 with Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, R-La., bucking his party's leadership and voting for the measure. A total of 39 Democrats voted against the nearly 2,000-page legislation.

The bill apparently won passage because of an amendment that limits insurance coverage for abortions. Abortion rights activists promised that wouldn't survive a final version of the bill.

With Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., having delivered on her promise to get a healthcare reform bill passed -- even if it came in $300 million beyond the target ceiling of $900,000 -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is under scrutiny to see when he will allow the upper chamber's bill to reach the floor. He said last week the Senate "won't be bound by any deadlines."

There are substantial differences between the House version and the Senate bill, which was scored to cost about $829 billion and several senators -- and not only Republicans -- have promised floor action to stop what they deem to be unacceptable aspects, including a government-run option to private insurance.