Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that, starting in 2013, health insurance companies cannot charge co-payments, co-insurance, or a deductible for women’s preventive services, like wellness visits, breastfeeding support, domestic violence screening and contraception. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, "The Affordable Care Act helps stop health problems before they start. These historic guidelines are based on science and existing literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need." more ›

The Republican-led House voted to repeal health care reform. According to MSNBC, "The repeal, which was passed by a vote of 245 to 189, has little or no chance of passing the Senate, where Democratic supporters of the law have the majority. And Obama has vowed to veto it if it reaches his desk." The Democrats who voted with Republicans were Reps. Dan Boren of Oklahoma, Mike Ross of Arkansas, and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina. And let's let Rep. Anthony Weiner take it away in this video: more ›

Freshman Congressman Michael Grimm (R-Staten Island) is on board with the GOP's repeal of the so-called "job-killing" health care reform passed last year. But his acceptance of his employer- (and his employer is the government) provided health care has raised the ire of Democrats as well as some constituents. Staten Island Democratic Association president Richard Reichard said while protesting outside of Grimm's local office yesterday, "If you're going to say that government shouldn't provide health care, you shouldn't have it either." more ›

A federal judge in Virginia has found that part of President Obama's health care reform is unconstitutional. CNN reports, "U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson struck down the 'individual mandate' requiring most Americans to purchase health insurance by 2014, "An individual's personal decision to purchase -- or decline purchase -- (of) health insurance from a private provider is beyond the historical reach [of the Constitution]. No specifically constitutional authority exists to mandate the purchase of health insurance." (link to ruling)The Justice Department is expected to appeal the ruling. more ›

At a rally outside City Hall yesterday, where participants including union leaders and lawmakers praised the passage of health care reform, it was apparently also time to slam the lone NYC Congressional member who voted against it, Rep. Michael McMahon (D-Staten Island). Communications Workers of America Vice President Chris Shelton said, "We're here today to thank the 12 people in the congressional delegation in New York City who had the guts to stand up and do the right thing for the people, and the one from Staten Island - that Judas in Staten Island - who decided that the people didn't matter that he was going to do what he was going to do," adding, "We won’t forget." more ›

Rep. Charles Rangel was on NY1's Inside City Hall last night. And he had some forceful words about those who protested against health care reform, "I was involved in the civil rights marches in the '60s. And I have been badgered, cursed at and spat at by groups in the South and I want you to know and your viewing audience to know that the group that were in Washington fighting against the health bill and fighting against the President, looked just like and sounded just like those groups that attacked the civil rights movement in the South." more ›

Today, President Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 into law. He called it, as well as last week's health care reform package, "two major victories in one week that will improve the lives of people for generations to come... We mark an important milestone on the road to health insurance reform and higher education reform. But more broadly, this day affirms our ability to overcome the challenges of our politics and meet the challenges of our time.” more ›

Now that's he's blasted both Bill O'Reily and Sarah Palin, ripped Congress Republicans a new one and had a bona-fide terrorist threat at his office, Rep. Anthony Weiner may ride his new star all the way to Gracie Mansion. "There isn't a day that I go to work in this job that I'm not thinking about how I can fight for my city. I'm sure I'll still feel that way in 2013," Weiner told the Daily News. more ›

The white powder sent to Rep. Anthony Weiner's office appears to be a kind of antacid. The powder—which forced nine staffers at the Congressman' Kew Gardens office to be decontaminated yesterday—was harmless, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told the Daily News. "That was the initial finding, and it'll be confirmed in a lab." more ›

It's not just the Democrats who supported health care reform who are running into trouble. Democrats who opposed the bill infuriated party officials and union supporters—and now liberal groups are trying to push them out of office. That's the case in Staten Island, where Rep. Mike McMahon has drawn the ire of influential Democrats and labor unions for voting against health care reform, even though the vote might have pleased his constituents. more ›

Last night, the House of Representatives passed the changes to some language in the health care reform reconciliation package in a 220-207 vote. President Obama is expected to sign it into law next week. Lawmakers now have a two week recess and the Washington Post reports, "Lawmakers are leaving Washington on a rancorous note. Members of both parties seethed over the political response to threats of violence against a number of House Democrats, and senators belittled one another during amendment votes that lasted nearly 21 straight hours." Yay, democracy! more ›

With his Kew Gardens office still closed after a white powder incident yesterday afternoon, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens) blasted Sarah Palin for sending out a Tweet that he says could be interpreted as a call for violence. The vocal health care reform supporter says the former Alaskan Governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate shouldn't have sent out a message reading: "Commonsense Conservatives & lovers of America: "Don't Retreat, Instead - RELOAD!" more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] A health care reform opponent sent a letter containing a suspicious white powder to outspoken health care reform supporter Rep. Anthony Weiner's Kew Gardens district office, according to police scanner reports. Wire dispatches indicate that nine people are being decontaminated after potential exposure to the substance, which was sent in a letter "making reference to President Obama's healthcare reform bill." more ›

Early this morning, Senate Republicans forced the health care reform reconciliation bill back to the House for another vote after identifying some issues with two provisions. CNN calls them "violations," the NY Times calls them "parliamentary problems" and adds, "The successful parliamentary challenge did not appear to endanger the eventual adoption of the changes to the health care legislation. And Mr. Obama on Tuesday already signed the main health care bill into law." more ›

The White House released photographs of President Obama's historic day signing the $940 billion health care reform bill into law. Obama used 22 commemorative pens to sign the bill; according to The Washington Scene, "As he methodically signed the landmark bill one letter at a time, the left-handed president looked up at the crowd and said, 'I hadn't practiced this.'" more ›

Carl Paladino, a millionaire businessman from Buffalo who is interested in running for Governor, has been railing against health care reform—you know, Obamacare—but today he hit the Rudy Giuliani moment by invoking 9/11 when being interviewed by Curtis Sliwa today. Paladino said, "I fear the results of Obamacare will be so horrific that it will kill more Americans through deteriorating health care than were lost on 9-11. Nothing can lessen the terrible events of that day, but in terms of raw numbers more will suffer and die through Obamacare." more ›

Despite a "high-level arm-twisting campaign" by the Democratic party, Rep. Mike McMahon (D-Staten Island) voted against health care reform. And though the vote won him the respect of some Republicans, the White House wants to make him pay, according to the Daily News. more ›

President Obama put his signature on health care reform today, saying, "The bill I am signing will set in motion reforms that generations of Americans have fought for and marched for and hungered to see.... We are not a nation that scales back its aspirations. We are not a nation that falls prey to doubt or mistrust. We don't fall prey to fear. We are not a nation that does what's easy. It's not who we are. It's not how we got here. We are a nation that faces its challenges and accepts its responsibilities." more ›

Glenn Beck was in top form on his Fox News show yesterday, as he railed against the House's passage of health care reform. When not slamming the "California hippie, Marxist, communist, socialist progressives with flowers in the barrels of guns, sitting around smoking dope and talking about how they can destroy the evil American empire," he mocked how Democrats were calling the bill historic. more ›

In today's Times, Op-Ed columnist Paul Krugman declared that yesterday "fear struck out... In the end, a vicious, unprincipled fear offensive failed to block reform... On the eve of the big vote, Republican members of Congress warned that 'freedom dies a little bit today' and accused Democrats of 'totalitarian tactics,' which I believe means the process known as 'voting.'" Meanwhile, in Niagara Falls, someone threw a brick through the front window of Democratic Rep. Louise M. Slaughter's office. more ›

Last night, after the House of Representatives passed health care reform, President Obama spoke, "For most Americans, this debate has never been about abstractions, the fight between right and left, Republican and Democrat -- it’s always been about something far more personal. It’s about every American who knows the shock of opening an envelope to see that their premiums just shot up again when times are already tough enough. It’s about every parent who knows the desperation of trying to cover a child with a chronic illness only to be told “no” again and again and again. It’s about every small business owner forced to choose between insuring employees and staying open for business. They are why we committed ourselves to this cause... Tonight’s vote is not a victory for any one party -- it's a victory for them. It's a victory for the American people. And it's a victory for common sense." more ›

The House of Representatives passed health care reform legislation by a vote of 219 to 212. Thirty-four Democrats voted against the measure, and no Republicans voted for it. The NY Times writes, "Congress gave final approval on Sunday to legislation that would provide medical coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and remake the nation’s health care system along the lines proposed by President Obama." more ›

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Michigan) announced his support of the health care bill after President Obama agreed to sign an executive order "reaffirming a ban on federal funding of abortions." Stupak, who had been a holdout over abortion language in the bill, spoke at a press conference—with a half-dozen other holdout Democrats—proclaiming "We’re well past 216 [votes], yes... We’ve always said ... that we were for health care reform, but there was a principle that meant more to us than anything, and that was the sanctity of life." more ›

As the House of Representatives prepares to vote on historic health care legislation today, the chairman of the Democratic caucus predicted victory: Speaking on ABC News' This Week, the AP reports that Rep. John Larson (D-Maryland) said, "We have the votes now -- as we speak." However, there's still some uncertainty that the Democrats have enough votes—the NY Times says that late last night, they "acknowledged that the margin of victory would likely be razor thin even under their most optimistic scenario." more ›

President Obama visited Capitol Hill today to make his case for passing health care reform to House Democrats. According to the Caucus, he quoted Abraham Lincoln—"I am not bound to win but I am bound to be true"—and said, "This is a middle-of-the-road bill that is designed to help the American people in an area of their lives where they urgently need help... This is one of those times where you can honestly say to yourself: ‘Doggone it, this is exactly why I came here. This is why I got into politics. This is why I got into public service. This is why I made these sacrifices.’" (Video of his remarks after the jump.) more ›

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released a report (PDF) giving the proposed $940 billion health care legislation a boost because it forecasts almost $140 billion in deficit reduction: The Washington Post reports, "The cost of expanding coverage would exceed $200 billion a year by 2019, the CBO said. But new revenue in the package, combined with savings from program cuts, would outpace the cost of coverage, reducing the federal deficit by $138 billion over the next 10 years. The savings would continue to accumulate in the decade thereafter, the CBO said, eventually slicing around $1.2 trillion from the nation's budget gap." more ›

Rep. Mike McMahon has been scorned by his Democratic peers for opposing the health care reform bill, but his Staten Island constituents are celebrating his decision. "I agree with him to vote 'no' on health care because every time they [the government] gets into something, the prices go up on everything," 83-year-old Olympia Skunakis told the Daily News. more ›

President Obama is meeting with both Democrats and Republicans at a health care summit today. You can see live video of the talks after the jump, but to bring you up to speed, the NY Times reports that Obama, in his opening remarks (which came from a teleprompter-less table), "called on the two parties to abandon their talking points and engage in a real unscripted discussion." Republican Senator Lamar Alexander asked Obama to abandon "reconciliation" and start over while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) said there's no time to start over. more ›