Obama praises final House committee for health bill approval

President Obama praised members of the final House committee yet to act on healthcare reform legislation Saturday, thanking the Energy and Commerce committee’s liberal and centrist members for voting to report their bill to the full House.

“I’m pleased that the third and final House committee working on health reform legislation has successfully passed a bill that would provide quality, affordable health insurance for all Americans,” Obama said in a statement Saturday.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted late Friday night to move forward with the bill in a close 31-28 vote. That vote came after two weeks of delays as House Democratic leaders sought to ameliorate the concerns of centrist, Blue Dog Democrats.

The president lavished praise on those centrists — as well as the more liberal members of the committee, who were promised a floor vote on a single-payer healthcare system to calm their frustration over concessions made in the bill to win over Blue Dogs.

“As in other Committees, this bill was strengthened by a debate that allowed all voices to be heard, including those of Progressives, Blue Dog Democrats, and members of both the Democratic and Republican Caucuses,” Obama said.

The president also foreshadowed what’s expected to be an intense debate over his plans to revamp the American healthcare system, played out in lawmakers’ home districts and states.

“Over the next few weeks, we must build upon the historic consensus that has been forged, and do the hard work necessary to seize this unprecedented opportunity for the future of our economy and the health of our families,” he said.