Obama signs final health changes into law

Reuters: President Barack Obama signed Congress's health reconciliation bill today, making final changes to the health overhaul law. 'This day affirms our ability to overcome the challenges of our politics and meet the challenges of our time,' Obama told a college audience outside Washington, as he signed into law final changes to the sweeping plan approved by lawmakers last week, along with reforms in college student loan programs."

"The signing capped a year-long struggle between Democrats and Republicans that has set the stage for a bitter campaign for control of Congress in November. Republicans have vowed to make the healthcare bill the centerpiece of the election fight as they seek to repeal it" (Bull, 3/30).

CNN has video of the president's comments and notes that "[t]he so-called 'fixes' bill -- approved over unanimous Republican opposition in both chambers of Congress -- significantly expands health insurance subsidies for lower- and middle-income families while watering down a tax on expensive health policies" (Silverleib and Cohen, 3/30).

The Hill: "No Republicans voted for the bill, and many called it a "government takeover" of health insurance, but Obama said that the bill is full of GOP ideas, a claim that Democrats made throughout the debate. He added that the Republicans opposed it for political, not policy-related, reasons." Obama called it a "centrist" measure (Fabian, 3/30).