Healthcare bill passes: See 7th District Rep. McDermott's speech

View video at C-SPAN.org

The House of Representatives tonight passed a massive overhaul of the nation's healthcare system. Here's a link to C-SPAN's coverage of our 7th District Representative Jim McDermott's speech from the floor of the House tonight:

Mr. Speaker, there are times in history that action is demanded. In 1935 we needed social security and unemployment insurance. The Democrats answered. In 1965 we needed healthcare for senior citizens. The Democrats answered. In 2010 the country needs healthcare reform, and the Democrats will answer tonight.

It was never in doubt. Business wanted a change. The medical profession wanted a change, and labor wanted a change. And the Republicans brought an economic collapse to make it clear to everybody that we all are in danger if we don't change the healthcare system in this country.

Thanks to CentralDistrictNews.com for the transcript.

For the rest of the story -- and a massive pile of comments from the angry Tea Party crowd -- here's coverage of the vote from our news partners at the Seattle Times:

Summoned to success by President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled Congress approved historic legislation Sunday night extending health care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and cracking down on insurance company abuses, a climactic chapter in the century-long quest for near universal coverage.

Widely viewed as dead two months ago, the Senate-passed bill cleared the House on a 219-212 vote. Republicans were unanimous in opposition, joined by 34 dissident Democrats.