The health care reform bill passed by the House of Representatives on Sunday is now the law of the land. President Barack Obama made history today when he signed the bill into law.
Vice President Joe Biden said for the first time in American history everyone will have access to good health care. He gave credit to the president’s fierce efforts over the last year for getting this bill passed.
“Today after almost a century of trying and over a year of debate, health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America,” said Obama. The bill he signed will set in motion reforms that generations of Americans have fought for, he said.
President Obama said it will take time because it needs to be done right. Some things will start happening now, he said. This year, ten of thousands of Americans with preexisting conditions and children with preexisting conditions will have access to health insurance, he said. He said companies won’t be able drop people when they get sick. They will have to offer free preventative care and young adults will be able to stay on parents insurance until they are 26-years-old, he said. All that happens this year, he said.
President Obama said exchanges will be set up and millions of people will get tax breaks to help them afford coverage. “That’s what this reform is about,” he said. It is paid for, fiscally responsible and it will help the economy, he said.
President Obama said that he is signing this bill for all the people who have struggled with health insurance issues and for all the leaders who have taken up this cause before him.
“We are not a nation that scales back its aspirations,” he said. “We are not a nation that falls prey to doubt or mistrust. We don’t fall prey to fear. We are not a nation that does what’s easy. It’s not who we are. It’s not how we got here. We are a nation that faces its challenges and accepts its responsibilities.”