House passes health care reform bill H.R. 3962, Twitter users react

Late on Saturday night the House of Representatives passed health care reform bill H.R. 3962 by a vote of 220-215.

According to CNN.com, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, “seeks to expand health care coverage to the approximately 40 million uninsured Americans…[and] includes a new government-run insurance plan (a.k.a. a public option) to compete with the private companies, a requirement that all Americans have health insurance, a ban on denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition and, to pay for it all, a surtax on individuals with incomes above $500,000.”

But Democrats weren’t the only ones elated about tonight’s passage of the health care reform bill.

Twitter overflowed with tweets about the health care reform bill. Users tagged their tweets #hrc, and according to Trenidistic, a site that tracks trends on Twitter, #hrc became a hot topic at 7am on Saturday. It peaked at 10pm right as the bill passed, and continues to be a hot topic as of 2:30am CST.

Millions of Twitterers in favor of the health care reform bill expressed their opinions:

1. 
   MellieZa Never send a man to do a mans job | send Nancy Pelosi #hcr 08 Nov 2009 from TwitterBerry
2. 
   vegdaze Healthcare reform will cost less in the next 10 years than our “war on terror” will in it’s first 10 years. #hcr (via @velvetverbosity) 08 Nov 2009 from Twitterrific
3. 
   mstinalee RT @CtMan1: Many have been working on #hcr for years. I am still pissed the bill is too weak. | I hear ya. Change is slow, incremental. 08 Nov 2009 from TweetDeck
4. 
   malcolli Staying out of #hcr debate, sticking by original statement: As 23-year-old freelancer about to lose coverage under my parents, I’m pleased. 08 Nov 2009 from TweetDeck
5. 
   sharonjanis If the insurance companies weren’t such greedy shits, we wouldn’t have to have a public option. #hcr 08 Nov 2009 from web
6. 
   JeremyMcClain HURRAH! #hcr house bill ends tax discrim against #lgbt couples in health plans. this is great, welcome, important news. (via @chrisgeidner) 08 Nov 2009 from Twitterrific
7. 
   NightWritergrrr As a Canadian- watching #hcr is like watching & waiting 4 ur stubborn sibling 2 catch up. We ain’t perfect but we’re on the right track. 08 Nov 2009 from web

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Of the 220 House members who voted yes on the bill, all were Democrat except for Representative Ahn “Joseph” Cao, a Republican from Louisiana. According to his website, Mr. Cao believes that “Louisianans need real options for primary care, for mental health care, and for expanded health care for seniors and children.” The New York Times reports that his decision to vote yes on the health care bill “tickled” House Democrats.

Despite the success of H.R. 3962, CNN reports that anti-abortion democrats introduced an “amendment to pending health care legislation that prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option and in the insurance ‘exchange’ the bill would create.” The amendment passed with a 240-194 vote.

Pro-choice Twitterers spoke out about this step backwards in health care reform:

1. 
   olympiapress One snark: the abortion sellout is what ALWAYS happens when government takes over (when your side loses power or needs something). #HCR 08 Nov 2009 from web
2. 
   PCPaul13 The number of women that will die from back alley abortions will be staggering. Unfortunately it won’t be the daughters of Congress. #hcr 08 Nov 2009 from Tweetie
3. 
   MDTaz Thinking about the house passing an historic health care bill (#success) and the bargain against reproductive rights (#fail). #HCR 08 Nov 2009 from web

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Twitter users also sent out tweets with the hashtag #thankyouteddy, praising recently deceased Senator Teddy Kennedy who called health care reform “the cause of his life.

The 2,000 page health care reform bill is available in its entirety at opencongress.org.

Now that the bill has passed through the house, legislation moves to the Senate.

Filed under: politics, social media, health care bill, healthcare, healthcare reform, healthcare reform bill, HR 3962, Nancy Pelosi, teddy kennedy