Another historic landmark in the struggle to reform America’s broken health care system was reached this weekend, as H.R.3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, was passed by the House of Representatives:

After a daylong clash with Republicans over what has been a Democratic goal for decades, lawmakers voted 220 to 215 to approve a plan that would cost $1.1 trillion over 10 years. Democrats said the legislation would provide overdue relief to Americans struggling to buy or hold on to health insurance.

“This is our moment to revolutionize health care in this country,” said Representative George Miller, Democrat of California and one of the chief architects of the bill… Democrats say the House measure — paid for through new fees and taxes, along with cuts in Medicare — would extend coverage to 36 million people now without insurance while creating a government health insurance program. It would end insurance company practices like not covering pre-existing conditions or dropping people when they become ill.

Republicans condemned the vote and said they would oppose the measure as it proceeds on its legislative route. “This government takeover has got a long way to go before it gets to the president’s desk, and I’ll continue to fight it tooth and nail at every turn,” said Representative Kevin Brady, Republican of Texas. “Health care is too important to get it wrong.”

On the House floor, Democrats exchanged high-fives and cheered wildly — and Republicans sat quietly — when the tally display showed the 218th and decisive vote, after the leadership spent countless hours in recent days wringing commitments out of House members.

“We did what we promised the American people we would do,” said Representative Steny H. Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland and the majority leader, who also warned, “Much work remains.”

The passage of H.R.3962 marks the first time in the nearly seven decades that progressives have been working towards meaningful health reform that a reform proposal has been passed by a chamber of Congress.

Before the vote, President Barack Obama explained why this moment is so significant:

What’s in our grasp right now is the chance to prevent a future where every day 14,000 Americans continue to lose their health insurance, and every year 18,000 Americans die because they don’t have it; a future where crushing costs keep small businesses from succeeding and big businesses from competing in the global economy; a future where countless dreams are deferred or scaled back because of a broken system we could have fixed when we had the chance.

What we can do right now is choose a better future and pass a bill that brings us to the very cusp of building what so many generations of Americans have sought to build — a better health care system for this country…

I just came from the Hill where I talked to the members of Congress there, and I reminded them that opportunities like this come around maybe once in a generation. Most public servants pass through their entire careers without a chance to make as important a difference in the lives of their constituents and the life of this country. This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us — even when it’s hard; especially when it’s hard. This is our moment to deliver.

And after it passed, he applauded the House’s action and urged the Senate to follow suit:

Moments like this are why [the American people] sent us here — to finally meet the challenges that Washington has put off for decades; to make their lives better and this nation stronger; to move America forward. That’s what the House did last night when it brought us closer than we have ever been to comprehensive health insurance reform in America.

Now it falls on the United States Senate to take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people. And I’m absolutely confident that they will.

UPDATE (5:30PM): CtW Chair Anna Burger on the House’s vote:

The leadership, determination, and commitment of President Obama and Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi to deliver on the promise of the 2008 election helped clear an important hurdle on the path to final enactment of health care reform. The more than 5 million working men and women of the unions of Change to Win thank the President, the Speaker and all House Members who voted for passage. They stood up to the insurance companies and the special interests. They kept faith with America.

Now is time for the Senate to act.