Breaking: Obamacare Passes Congress

Monday, 22 March 2010, 4:12 pm
Article: Breaking News

Obama Healthcare Bill Passes

US President Barak Obama's healthcare package has passed its vote in Congress, with 219 Democrat representatives voting for and 178 Republicans and 34 Democrats voting against.

The wide-ranging reforms are aimed at expanding health insurance coverage, which have provoked vehement opposition, now require only the President's signature to become law.

Wavering Democrat votes were gained by an assurance the Federal funds would not be used for abortions.

See also debate coverage from Rosalea Barker:

Rosalea Barker: US Health Care Reform Hoop-La!

Stateside: Healthcare legislation debate, Part 1

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Scoop Business: Court Overturns Crafar Farms Sale Decision

The decision allowing sale of the Crafar dairy farms to Chinese investor Shanghai Pengxin has been set aside, with the High Court directing Ministers to reconsider the application.

Judge Forrest Miller found that the Overseas Investment Office's recommendation to allow the purchase to occur "materially overstated" the economic benefit of the transaction to the New Zealand economy. More>>

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NZ First - Crafar Farms Decision Welcomed – Sell Them Locally

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Out-Link - Interest.co.nz video: John Key on the Court's Crafar decision

Keith Rankin: Asset Sales And Public Ownership

Based on the valuation ... the present government would gain 7.2 billion dollars, and lose two years' worth of dividends ($1.44 billion, assuming annual dividends are 10% of valuation). All future three-year governments would be about $2.2 billion worse off. More>>

Werewolf: Why State Capitalism Is Beating The Free Market

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Gordon Campbell: On Syria

So far, the fighting in Syria has largely been limited to its smaller cities – Homs in particular... All the same, Homs is a cautionary example of the dangerous fault lines that run through the entire society. More>>

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Werewolf: Undaunted Oakland

It gets really tiring living in Oakland. Practically every television newscast is straight from the police blotter. Murders. Marches. Mayhem. Mayoral recall. (Oops! That last one’s not from the blotter but from the OPD to-do list.) ... More>>

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Werewolf: Human Rights, Pinochet And Asset Freezes

Gordon Campbell interviews Baron Collins of Mapesbury, recently retired judge from the British Supreme Court. Politicians are always tempted to take pot shots at judges, who have relatively few friends among the general public. More>>

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Mark P Williams: Waitangi – What Makes A National Day?

Should Waitangi Day be seen as a national day when it provokes such diverse and divisive responses? That depends on whether you think unity should overrule differences of perspective and opinion... More>>

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Gordon Campbell: On Mitt Romney’s Victory In Florida

So Romney now looks a certainty to be the Republican candidate against Barack Obama in November, after yesterday’s win in conservative Florida put paid to the claim that he was not really conservative enough to win the nomination. More>>