Cantwell welcomes signing of health bill into law

"Today after almost a century of trial, today after over a year of debate, today after all the votes have been tallied, health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America. Today," Obama said, interrupted by applause after nearly every sentence. "All of the overheated rhetoric over reform will finally confront the reality of reform."

Washington's U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell called it "a major victory for patients and providers in Washington state.

The Senate passed the bill Dec. 24, 2009 in a 60-39 vote. The House sent the Senate bill to the President Sunday night in a 219-212 vote. 

 Cantwell, also a Democrat, said the new law would extend health insurance coverage to thousands who are currently uninsured, strengthen Medicare coverage and improve prescription drug access for seniors, ensure that more than young people can remain on their parents' insurance, reduce the cost of coverage to small businesses, and spur the creation of nearly new jobs.

"Amid all the political theater and debate over parliamentary rules, we should not lose sight of the historic nature of what is happening today," Cantwell said. "The goal of affordable health care for all has eluded presidents and congresses for generations."

The provisions of health care reform are paid in part by the elimination of fraud, abuse and profits for private insurers. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects the law will reduce the deficit by $130 billion over the next 10 years, and by about $1.2 trillion over the second decade. 

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley called the action "a long stride forward in the battle for affordable, accessible health care."

"The bill does three critical things: it ends insurance practices that victimize our families; it creates state insurance policy markets that increase choice and competition; and it invests in our health care workforce to counter the rapid retirement of baby boom practitioners," the Democrat said.

He said this week the Senate will take up a separate House bill that makes several improvements. "It will make health reform better for seniors by closing the Medicare donut hole. It will make health reform better for working families who have high health care expenses by lowering their taxes. And it will improve health care reform by eliminating the special deals for certain states," he said.