A huge national story that West Virginia played a notable role was the health care reform debate. Both Sens. Jay Rockefeller and the late Robert Byrd were supporters of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Rockefeller played an important role in crafting the legislation, and Byrd – despite health issues – was able to cast votes in support of the bill, doing so to honor the memory of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).

Ultimately is was up to the U.S. House of Representatives to pass, which they did through reconciliation. Both Reps. Alan Mollohan and Nick Rahall stood against the bill due to it’s coverage of abortion. After a deal was worked out where President Obama would sign an executive order maintaining the abortion ban firewall Mollohan and Rahall voted for the bill. Only Rep. Shelley Moore Capito voted against the bill.

West Virginia‘s congressional delegation was split along party lines, with Democrats Nick Rahall and Alan Mollohan voting yes and Republican Shelley Moore Capito voting no. The first bill, the U.S. Senate’s health care bill, was passed 219 to 212. 33 Democrats crossed party lines to vote no. The reconciliation bill passed 220 to 211.

The bill provides coverage for the approximately 32 million uninsured Americans, creates state-based exchanges, taxpayer subsidies, Medicaid expansion, and insurance reforms. The cost is $940 billion over ten years, but the Congressional Budget Office also says the bill would reduce the deficit by $143 billion over the same time frame.

Read More: BREAKING: Rahall, Mollohan Vote For Health Care Bill – West Virginia Watchdog

One of our top five stories of 2010 was a video report we produced where Rockefeller said the public option – something opponents of health care reform call the government option, could come back in 2011. This statement was made at a meeting between Rockefeller and constituents at Shoney’s in Charleston, W.Va.

Health care reform played a large role in the 2010 special election for U.S. Senate, with Gov. Joe Manchin saying he’d vote to remove the bad part of “Obamacare,” while Republican John Raese said he’d vote to repeal the whole thing. Manchin defeated Raese, and as Senator was able to cast a vote for the repeal of the 1099 provision, but was unable to see that provision repealed as of yet.

“I am disappointed that the first attempt to repeal the 1099 requirement from Health Care reform failed,” Manchin said. “We must lift the heavy paperwork burden off the backs of our nation’s small business owners so that they can focus on what they do best – create jobs. Whether this year or next, I am committed to working with Republicans and Democrats who share my concern for jobs and small businesses and the need to repeal this provision from health care reform.”

Read More: Healthcare 1099 Repeal Effort Fails – West Virginia Watchdog

Related articles

• Number Of Health Care Uninsured Rises Over 50 Million (alan.com)
• CNN: One-quarter of health reform opponents say it’s not liberal enough (dailykos.com)