Congress passed the final piece of President Obama’s landmark health-care package Thursday, the last legislative hurdle in a year-long debate over the issue.

On a 220 to 207 vote Thursday night, the House approved a reconciliation bill that amends the newly enacted health-care law and includes a major overhaul of the student loan program and expansion of Pell Grants. The bill now goes to Obama for his signature.

The House vote was actually its second on the reconciliation bill. It narrowly approved the bill late Sunday night, but it came back after Republicans identified two minor violations of reconciliation rules that forced changes to a provision on student loans.

The Senate passed the reconciliation bill — with the two small changes — by a vote of 56 to 43.

Democratic leaders said the provisions that were struck — from the part of the bill dealing with Pell Grants for college students — did not significantly affect the student loan program or the overall health-care bill.

“Of all the things they could have sent back, this is probably the most benign [and] easily fixed,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters.

Senators stood and voted from their desks as the roll was called, a tradition reserved for high-profile bills. Before the vote, the Senate observed a moment of silence for the late senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the Democratic champion of health-care reform, who died last year midway through the debatOn a 220 to 207 vote Thursday night, the House approved a reconciliation bill that amends the newly enacted health-care law and includes a major overhaul of the student loan program and expansion of Pell Grants. The bill now goes to Obama for his signature.

The House vote was actually its second on the reconciliation bill. It narrowly approved the bill late Sunday night, but it came back after Republicans identified two minor violations of reconciliation rules that forced changes to a provision on student loans.

The Senate passed the reconciliation bill — with the two small changes — by a vote of 56 to 43.

Democratic leaders said the provisions that were struck — from the part of the bill dealing with Pell Grants for college students — did not significantly affect the student loan program or the overall health-care bill.

“Of all the things they could have sent back, this is probably the most benign [and] easily fixed,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters.

Senators stood and voted from their desks as the roll was called, a tradition reserved for high-profile bills. Before the vote, the Senate observed a moment of silence for the late senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the Democratic champion of health-care reform, who died last year midway through the debate. ….

Read the full article, here.

See, Final Votes in Congress Cap Battle on Health Bill, The New York Times, March 25, 2010, by David M. Herszenhorn and Robert Pear.

See, Going to Extreme, The New York Times, March 25, 2010, by Paul Krugman, excerpt quoted verbatim:

I admit it: I had fun watching right-wingers go wild as health reform finally became law. But a few days later, it doesn’t seem quite as entertaining — and not just because of the wave of vandalism and threats aimed at Democratic lawmakers. For if you care about America’s future, you can’t be happy as extremists take full control of one of our two great political parties.

Video: ‘A Big F—ing Deal’: Biden’s Health Care Reform F-Bomb On Live TV (VIDEO), The Huffington Post, March 25, 2010, by Huffington Post.

See, Biden On ‘Big F—ing Deal’: Obama Loved It, The Huffington Post, March 25, 2010, by Huffington Post.

And if THAT’S not enough on the “F” word, try Roy Sekoff Compares VP F-Bombs: Biden’s ‘A lot better’ than Cheney’s. I bet that burns up old Dickey….

See, Like hell I’m going to let some black president help me pay for Dialysis!, Daily Kos, March 25, 2010, by blackwaterdog.

See, Senate Plays Game of Chicken with Unemployment Benefits, The Huffington Post, March 25, 2010, by Arthur Delaney, excerpt quoted verbatim:

While Senate Democrats held a press conference celebrating their latest health care reform victory on Thursday afternoon, a Republican slipped into the chamber to move a bill that would extend soon-to-expire enhanced unemployment benefits — paid for with $10 billion in unused funds from the stimulus bill.

With Democrats caught off guard, the clock started ticking on the bill’s slog through the legislative process. Democratic leaders, who had planned to introduce the same bill without using funds committed to the stimulus, trudged into the chamber as Sen. Tom Coburn launched into an epic speech on the perils of deficit spending.

See, U.S. Plans Big Expansion in Effort to Aid Homeowners, The New York Times, March 25, 2010, by David Streitfeld, excerpt quoted verbatim:

The Obama administration on Friday will announce broad new initiatives to help troubled homeowners, potentially refinancing several million of them into fresh government-backed mortgages with lower payments.

Another element of the new program is meant to temporarily reduce the payments of borrowers who are unemployed and seeking a job. Additionally, the government will encourage lenders to write down the value of loans held by borrowers in modification programs.

The escalation in aid comes as the administration is under rising pressure from Congress to resolve the foreclosure crisis, which is straining the economy and putting millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes. But the new programs could well spur protests among those who have kept up their payments and are not in trouble.

The administration’s earlier efforts to stem foreclosures have largely been directed at borrowers who were experiencing financial hardship. But the biggest element of the new program will involve the government, through the Federal Housing Administration, refinancing loans for borrowers who simply owe more than their houses are worth.

About 11 million households, or a fifth of those with mortgages, are in this position, known as being underwater. Some of these borrowers refinanced their houses during the boom and took cash out, leaving them vulnerable when prices declined. Others simply had the misfortune to buy at the peak.

Many of these loans have been bundled together and sold to investors. Under the new program, the investors would have to swallow losses, but would probably be assured of getting more in the long run than if the borrowers went into foreclosure. The F.H.A. would insure the new loans against the risk of default. The borrower would once again have a reason to make payments instead of walking away from a property.

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