Health Care Bill: Now On To The Senate

ATLANTA -- Every Republican Congressman from Georgia voted against the healthcare bill. Every Democrat voted for it except two.

We've heard a lot from the state of Georgia on the Republican side -- congressmen Tom Price and Phil Gingrey have been speaking out since the healthcare debate began. 11Alive's Matt Pearl talked to several representatives, as well as both US senators, about what Saturday night's vote means, and what could be next.

It's a big step -- but not the final step. That's the message from both sides of the aisle two days after a healthcare bill finally passed the US House.

"Well, the struggle's not over, we just made our first down payment on getting this bill through the Congress," said Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga. 5th).

"This bill moves on to the Senate, but we've already heard today that it's DOA - dead on arrival - in the Senate," said Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga. 6th).

The bill passed the House 220-215. In Georgia, every Republican voted against it, and every Democrat voted for it - with the exception of two: John Barrow (D-Ga. 12th) and Jim Marshall (D-Ga. 8th).

At this point, the Senate awaits the presentation of its own bill. Georgia senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss, both Republicans, said in statements essentially the same thing on Monday -- they won't support a bill that raises taxes on American families. And any Senate bill that passes would be combined with the House bill to produce the final health care legislation.

"Only when that compromise package passes the House and the Senate once again does it go on to the White House, so we're a long way from being done," Price said.

And when might things be done? Congressmen Lewis and Price have different answers to that question, too.

"I believe by the end of this year, or by the first part of next year, we will have a bill on the president's desk," said Lewis.

"If they don't act on it early in the year, then once we get into election season and the primaries across this land, it's gonna be very difficult to get anything done," Price said.

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga. 11th) criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership, saying, "the vote was a tremendously disappointing example of how Speaker Pelosi is willing to ignore the input of the American public and ram a government takeover of our nation's health care system through Congress."

One key thing to point out -- the House does get one more crack at this, once the final legislation is drawn up. So you haven't heard the last from either side just yet.