The US House of Representatives has backed a healthcare bill in a step towards reforms promised by President Obama, despite strong opposition¹.

美国众议院力排众议，支持奥巴马总统提出的医疗改革方案。

Passed in a narrow 220-215 vote, the bill aims to extend coverage² to 36 million more Americans and provide affordable³ healthcare to 96%.

The bill now has to be reconciled with（与……和解） a separate Senate draft（草稿，草图） law.

President Obama has made reform of America's healthcare system a central plank⁴（厚木板，支架） of his domestic agenda.

He described Saturday's vote in the House as "historic", saying he was "absolutely confident" the Senate would also back it.

Correspondents say the legislation could lead to the biggest changes in American healthcare in decades.

Concessions⁵

The bill was supported by 219 Democrats⁶ and one Republican - Joseph Cao from New Orleans. Opposed were 176 Republicans and 39 Democrats.

Before Saturday's vote, Mr Obama made a rare visit to Congress to try to persuade wavering（摇晃的） members of his own Democratic Party to back the bill.

He said such opportunities came around "maybe once in a generation".

The bill would allow the government to sell insurance in competition with private companies and make insurers offer cover to those with pre-existing conditions.

But this so-called "public option" had been scaled back（相应缩减） in the wrangling⁷ that preceded the House vote.

In the run-up to the vote, conservatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties joined forces to pass new restrictions⁸ on abortion⁹ coverage in insurance policies to be offered to individuals and groups.

The amendment¹⁰（修正案） had been offered to conservative Democrats as a means of persuading them to vote for the main bill.

A Senate debate on the bill the healthcare reform is expected in the coming days.