Chronology of Recent Health Care Legislation

Shortly after his inauguration in 2009, President Barack Obama put in motion an attempt to reform the health system in the United States. Health care cost too much and didn't provide equal access to the system. Reform had been attempted by previous administrations but failed for a variety of reasons. However, President Obama gave health care reform priority, and the attempt succeeded after a year-long struggle that included serious debates about funding, government health insurance, and abortion. Bipartisanship failed. A chronological description of this struggle is important because we may soon launch attempts at reform in other areas (education, environment, monetary funds, immigration, etc.) and lessons learned, particularly with respect to bipartisanship, during the health care reform debate may by useful to other areas.