History was made Sunday March 21,2010 when the House of Representatives passed President Barack Obama’s health care reform bill.
The victory did not come without controversy however.
When Representative John Lewis of Georgia accompanied Speaker Of The House Nancy Pelosi into Capital Hill he was taunted with racial slurs of “n*gger” and even reportedly spat at.
Despite the drama, the Democrats were able to secure a victory with 219 votes of “yes” to 212 votes of “no.”
No Republicans voted in favor of the bill.
One of the most controversial parts of the bill, abortion rights, was a determining factor in many of the Democrats’ votes.
The Obama administration had to reassure several members of the party that federal money would not be used for abortions.
Rep. Bart Stupak, a Democrat from Michigan, opposed the bill because of its “abortion language” but was coerced into voting in its favor Sunday.
He was called a “baby killer” for his vote by an unknown member of congress.
Now that the bill has passed in the House it will travel to the Senate where additional changes will be voted on.
