He even postponed his trip to Indonesia to ensure the result

The moment of truth has sounded for the reform of the health of Barack Obama. After nine months of parliamentary battles, the House of representatives seemed on the point, last night to adopt a short majority of the major reform of the system of medical coverage ardently desired by the US President. Faced with the reluctance of some of the Democrats elected and fear of the high cost of the reform (940 billion over 10 years) in public opinion, the White House had to revise upward its objectives of reducing the deficit and control costs. To obtain the support of some democratic elected officials opposed to abortion, she has also had to engage so that public funds may in no case be used to finance voluntary interruptions of pregnancy. But in the end, the core of the device, which aims to extend coverage to 32 million Americans health (to cover 95 of the population) thanks to public subsidies to the more modest income, was preserved.

"Since Harry until Richard Nixon, from JFK or Lyndon Johnson, each President, Republican or Democrat, has already said the need to repair the system", has launched this weekend, Barack Obama focusing on the "historic" the vote of the House. He even postponed his trip to Indonesia to ensure the result. In fact, it is the most important reform of the American social security system since the launch of the Medicare program for retirees in 1965 under Lyndon Johnson. Technically, the House had yesterday to two separate votes: one on the version of the Senate already approved by the upper House on December 24 by 60 votes to 39, and another on a series of amendments aimed at lifting the past reluctance of the Democrats elected to the renewal of their seats in November. In the aftermath, thanks to the use of the procedure of "reconciliation" (usually reserved for budgetary issues), the Senate should be able to adopt its reform by a simple majority of 51 votes.

A "moral imperative."

The dual objective of reform is to stop the drift of the cost of U.S. health care system (16 of GDP compared to 9 on average in OECD countries) fighting against the waste of public programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and by stopping the inflation of the cost of private insurance policies, while responding to the "moral imperative" to extend medical coverage to those without. In addition to the extension of the public Medicaid program for low income, reform makes now required the purchase of medical insurance by all Americans (under penalty of a fine of 325 dollars). Big news in the United States: reform now also prohibited to insurance companies to deny medical coverage to persons suffering from "pre-existing conditions". By setting a goal of reducing the deficit of 138 billion over ten years (and 1,200 billion for the next decade), the reform is also intended to represent the most significant deficit reduction effort since 1993.

For the US President, whose opportunity to carry out his health care reform seemed seriously compromised since the devastating setback by the majority in Massachusetts, January 20, it is a crucial test for the second part of its mandate. This victory should allow not only to restore its credibility with its own majority, but also his personal authority to the weight of the lobbies and the machine of the Congress. By passing a major structural reform, where Bill Clinton himself had been a failure in 1993, he should be able to focus on the revival of the economy and employment, within eight months of mid-term elections that must translate by handing in game of one-third of the Senate and all 435 seats of the House.