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| Pelosi unveils House health bill | Pelosi unveils House health bill |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has unveiled a healthcare bill that would extend coverage to 36m more Americans. | The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has unveiled a healthcare bill that would extend coverage to 36m more Americans. |
| The top House Democrat said the legislation would provide affordable healthcare to 96% of all Americans. | The top House Democrat said the legislation would provide affordable healthcare to 96% of all Americans. |
| It would also let the government sell insurance in competition with private companies and make insurers offer cover to those with pre-existing conditions. | |
| The bill is the latest step in a long-running battle over healthcare reform. | |
| President Barack Obama has made reform of the healthcare system a central plank of his domestic agenda. | |
| Scaled-back | |
| Speaking on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington DC, Ms Pelosi called the bill a "historic moment for our nation and families". | Speaking on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington DC, Ms Pelosi called the bill a "historic moment for our nation and families". |
| She said the legislation would also include a so-called "public option", referring to a controversial new government-run insurance option. | She said the legislation would also include a so-called "public option", referring to a controversial new government-run insurance option. |
| However, the public option she unveiled was a scaled-back version, falling short of the one liberal Democrats had demanded and which had thrown the bill into a logjam. | However, the public option she unveiled was a scaled-back version, falling short of the one liberal Democrats had demanded and which had thrown the bill into a logjam. |
| US President Barack Obama welcomed the legislation in a written statement, saying that "a public option that competes with private insurers is the best way to ensure choice and competition that are so badly needed in today's market". | US President Barack Obama welcomed the legislation in a written statement, saying that "a public option that competes with private insurers is the best way to ensure choice and competition that are so badly needed in today's market". |
| The bill will now go before the House of Representatives, where it could be voted on as early as next week. | The bill will now go before the House of Representatives, where it could be voted on as early as next week. |
| Once both the House and Senate have approved their own versions, a conference committee, made up of lawmakers from both houses, will convene to reconcile the two. | |
| If both chambers then vote in favour of the reconciled version, it will be sent to Mr Obama for his approval, and become law. |