WASHINGTON (AP) A crucial first Senate vote on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul in a rare Saturday night session looms as a test of Democratic unity and the president's prestige.

Democratic leaders are optimistic of success, but they need every Democrat and both independents to vote ``yes,'' and two moderates remained uncommitted ahead of the roll call, which is expected around 8 p.m. The vote will determine whether debate can go forward on Majority Leader Harry Reid's 2,074-page bill to dramatically remake the U.S. health care system over the next decade.

Most everyone would be required to purchase insurance under Reid's legislation, and billions in new taxes would be levied on insurers and high-income Americans to help extend coverage to 30 million uninsured. Insurance companies would no longer be allowed to deny coverage to people with medical conditions or drop coverage when someone gets sick.

The two holdouts are Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. A third centrist, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, announced Friday that he'd be supporting his party on the test vote, while cautioning that it didn't mean he'd be with them on the final vote.

``It is not for or against the new Senate health care bill,'' Nelson said. ``It is only to begin debate and an opportunity to make improvements. If you don't like a bill, why block your own opportunity to amend it?''

If that same reasoning holds with Lincoln and Landrieu, Reid, D-Nev., will have the 60 votes he needs to prevail in the 100-seat Senate. The 40 Republicans are unanimously opposed.

Landrieu has made comments suggesting she'll support the move to debate, but Lincoln, who faces a difficult re-election next year, carefully avoided taking any public position Friday.

Republicans took to the Senate floor to slam the bill as a government takeover that would increase taxes and lead to rationing of health care.

``Washington will tell you what is good enough coverage,'' said Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. ``These insurance changes will increase costs for millions of Americans.''

Democrats said their legislation could make historic and necessary improvements in the country's social safety net.

``Prices of health care are marching relentlessly upwards, and so too many people don't have coverage,'' said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. ``The purpose of all of this is to try to get a handle on it somehow.''

The White House issued a statement late Friday praising the Senate measure.

``This bill provides the necessary health reforms that the administration seeks affordable, quality care within reach for the tens of millions of Americans who do not have it today, and stability and security for the hundreds of millions who do,'' the statement said.

The action in the Senate comes two weeks after the House approved a health overhaul bill of its own on a 220-215 vote. After the vote Saturday night, senators will leave for a Thanksgiving recess. Upon their return, assuming Democrats prevail on the vote, they will launch into weeks or more of unpredictable debate on the health care bill, with numerous amendments expected from both sides of the aisle and more 60-vote hurdles along the way.

Senate leaders hope to pass their bill by the end of the year. If that happens, January would bring work to reconcile the House and Senate versions before a final package could land on Obama's desk.

The bills have many similarities, including the new requirements on insurers and the creation of new purchasing marketplaces called exchanges where self-employed individuals and small businesses could go to shop for and compare coverage plans. One option in the exchanges would be a new government-offered plan, something that's opposed by private insurers and business groups.

Differences include requirements for employers. The House bill would require medium and large businesses to cover their employees, while the Senate bill would not require them to offer coverage but would make them pay a fee if the government ends up subsidizing employees' coverage.

Another difference is in how they're paid for. The Senate bill includes a tax on high-value insurance policies that's not part of the House bill, while the House would levy a new income tax on upper-income Americans that's not in the Senate measure. The Senate measure also raises the Medicare payroll tax on income above $200,000 annually for individuals and $250,000 for couples. Both bills rely on more than $400 billion in cuts to Medicare.

The Senate bill was written by Reid in private negotiations with White House officials, combining elements of two committee-passed bills and making additional changes with an eye to getting the necessary 60 votes.

Along the way, Reid sweetened the pot for individual senators, adding federal funds for Louisiana and agreeing to support an amendment written by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that would expand eligibility for the purchasing exchanges.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(WSB Radio) -- The computers which manage flight plans are talking to each other once again as airlines work to catch up after a glitch this morning a glitch caused widespread flight delays nationwide.

It's the second time in 15 months that there has been a problem.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, said the country's aviation system is ``in shambles'' and the FAA needs more resources to prevent such problems from continuing.

``If we don't deliver the resources, manpower, and technology the FAA it needs to upgrade the system, these technical glitches that cause cascading delays and chaos across the country are going to become a very regular occurrence,'' he said in a statement.

The telecomm router which failed is part of the modernization of the air traffic control system and was installed less than two years ago.   

The Federal Aviation Administration said the problem was fixed around 10 a.m., but it was unclear how long flights would continue to be affected. Doug Church, a spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Union, said controllers were still entering flight plans manually in some locations.

FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto said the problem started between 5:15 and 5:30 a.m. and affected mostly flight plans but also traffic management, such as ground stops and ground delays.

Airplane dispatchers had to send plans to controllers, who entered them into computers by hand.

``It's slowing everything down,'' Takemoto said.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest, has been particularly affected. Chicago and Washington, D.C., metro airports also reported delays due to the glitch.

Mary Rulo, an educator from Atlanta, was trying to get to Philadelphia for a conference. She said her 9 a.m. flight was delayed until 3 p.m. and AirTran was not able to help with other arrangements.

``This is really going to affect my conference schedule,'' she said. ``It's really frustrating.''

AirTran canceled at least 22 flights and dozens more flights were delayed as of 8 a.m. Delta Air Lines was also affected.

Passengers were asked to check the status of their flights online before going to airports.

Only minor delays were reported at metropolitan New York City area airports, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Delays were also minimal at Logan International Airport in Boston. Orlando International Airport, Florida's busiest, reported about a dozen delays due to the chain reaction around the country, and flights in Tampa, Fla., were also delayed.

Flight plans are collected by the FAA for traffic nationwide at two centers one in the Salt Lake City area and the other in the Atlanta area. FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said she did not know which center was affected Thursday. Church said the computer failure involved both centers.

Victor Santore, the National Air Traffic Controllers Union southern region vice president, said he began getting e-mail messages from air traffic controllers around 7 a.m. EST Thursday that the Atlanta-area computers had stopped processing flight plans.

Santore said some controllers were pulled away from their normal duties talking to airplanes or pulled off breaks to help enter the flight plans.

``When something crazy like this happens, we'll pull everybody onto the floor,'' Santore said. ``Every airport at some point some will be affected ... (The delays) are going to ripple through the entire system.''

In August 2008, a software malfunction delayed hundreds of flights around the country.

In that episode, the Northeast was hardest hit by the delays because of a glitch at the Hampton, Ga., facility that processes flight plans for the eastern half of the U.S.

The FAA said at that time the source of the computer software malfunction was a ``packet switch'' that ``failed due to a database mismatch.''

WASHINGTON (AP) Sarah Palin is embarking on a book tour. Tim Pawlenty is building a national political operation. Mitt Romney is weighing in on the recession.

They're all jockeying for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination even if they won't say so.

Make no mistake: At least a half-dozen Republicans are in the early stages of campaigning for the chance to challenge President Barack Obama in his expected re-election race.

Ultimately, some may decide against running. But, at this point, they're taking steps to position themselves for the GOP nomination fight and that means courting conservatives critical in primaries, proving they can take on a popular incumbent president and painting a vision for a wayward GOP.

And, of course, gauging their relative strength, visiting early primary states and refusing to rule out official bids.

``It's way too soon'' to talk 2012, former New York Gov. George Pataki demurred last week, sounding like a stream of other Republicans trekking through Iowa, while he spoke at a GOP fundraiser for the 2010 midterm election season.

This early, White House aspirants have the advantage of operating a bit outside the media glare. But Washington insiders do notice unforced errors. And while missteps may not hurt them with the public, flubs can hamper them in the long-term hunt for staff, fundraisers and endorsements by raising questions of readiness.

Pawlenty, for instance, caused a stir among insiders recently with a series of bobbles. In one case, the Minnesota governor seemed to suggest that moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, who sided with Democrats on Obama's health care reform in a Senate Finance Committee vote, shouldn't be part of the GOP. Pawlenty later made clear that she should.

For now, the field is wide open with 2008 GOP nominee John McCain on the sidelines after his loss to Obama. Republicans are struggling to figure out precisely what they want in their next leader and how to reshape a party facing big challenges following painful national election setbacks in 2006 and 2008.

Consider that Democrats won the White House and expanded their majorities in Congress in 2008 in a friendly political environment. It had turned so sour just one year later that Republicans booted Democrats from power in Virginia and New Jersey.

``The results made clear the American people don't like where the Democrats are trying to take our country,'' declared Haley Barbour, the Republican Governors Association chairman who will preside over a gathering of GOP governors in Texas next week.

Coming the same week as Palin's book tour, the gathering is certain to feed 2012 buzz for Barbour and Pawlenty, as well as other possible candidates if not this time than maybe next like Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Among others said to be flirting with a run are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who ran in 2008. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has fueled speculation with a visit to Iowa, where he said: ``I want a role in where this party is going, where this country is going.'' Republicans like South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Indiana Rep. Mike Pence also are trying to raise their national profiles.

A year before 2012 campaigning begins in earnest, here's a look at the moves some are making:

Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee who resigned as governor of Alaska, is starting a national media tour to promote her book, ``Going Rogue.'' Eager to show her conservative credentials, she recently endorsed grassroots-backed conservative Doug Hoffman over the GOP-supported candidate in an upstate New York congressional race. Hoffman lost but an undeterred Palin told conservative activists, ``The cause goes on.''

Pawlenty, who was on McCain's vice presidential short list, decided not to run for a third term as governor. He's been methodically building an expansive political operation with Washington-based campaign veterans while working to raise his national profile and taking on Obama often. Pawlenty is a conservative, but he's tacked even further right recently, including backing Hoffman.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who lost to McCain, has kept a lower profile than others. He's carefully chosen when to insert himself into national politics. The former businessman has reappeared at key times to challenge Obama, primarily on economic policy. He's experienced the rigors of a national campaign, but previous charges of flip-flopping could haunt him.

Barbour, Mississippi's governor and a former national GOP chairman, ascended to the RGA chairmanship this summer around the time he visited Iowa and New Hampshire. He was credited with helping Republicans win in Virginia and New Jersey, and helping recruit a strong field of 2010 gubernatorial candidates. The question: Does a party with diversity issues want a white Southerner who is a former lobbyist as the party's face?

Gingrich, the former House speaker from Georgia known for leading the 1994 GOP takeover of Congress, has been traveling the country talking up Republican rebirth. He tested a stump-sounding speech in Kansas earlier this month, and has emerged as a critic of Obama's health care and economic policy. A leader among conservatives, Gingrich is a perennial flirt with the presidency. But he also carries baggage from his years as a lawmaker.

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who won the Iowa caucuses in 2008, has spent the past year raising his national profile with a Fox News talk show ``Huckabee'' and radio commentaries called the ``Huckabee Report.'' He's in the midst of a tour for his new book, ``A Simple Christmas.'' A longtime favorite of evangelicals who lifted him to victory in Iowa, this Southern Baptist preacher will be challenged to broaden the scope of his support to the rest of the GOP.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

KIEL, Wis. (AP) Hundreds of people lining the main street of an Indiana town on Saturday fell solemnly silent as the white hearse passed. Mourners waited for hours outside a Wisconsin gymnasium to say goodbye to a soldier who once promised to take down Osama bin Laden.

And in Oklahoma, a newlywed grieved for her husband of nearly three months.

Across the country, many stood before flag-draped coffins during funeral services Saturday for several victims of the shooting massacre at Fort Hood, Texas. Family members, friends, fellow soldiers and strangers came to pay respects to those who died in the Nov. 5 killings.

In Plymouth, Ind., Sheila Ellabarger had placed two foot-high American flags in the grass where she watched the procession for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow. She said her children went to school with DeCrow and his wife his high school sweetheart and she knew others in his family.

``He was killed by a terrorist in my mind but he was still killed in the line of duty. We owe him a debt of gratitude, him and his family and the other soldiers. We owe them our lives, our freedom,'' Ellabarger said.

During services in Norman, Okla., images of Army Spc. Jason Dean Hunt and his beaming wife were shown on a screen. The recently married 22-year-old was described as a loving husband and family man as well as a soldier who left a legacy of selflessness and service.

``We may never find out the reason for what occurred on that fateful day at Fort Hood, Texas,'' said Ross Ridge, the deputy commanding general at Fort Sill, Okla. ``The military community are all grieving here today over the loss of this dedicated soldier.''

Hunt was among the 13 people who were killed at Fort Hood, where authorities allege Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire at the processing center. Hasan, 39, has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in a military court.

Army investigators have said he is the only suspect in the case and could face additional charges. His attorney has said prosecutors have not yet told him whether they plan to seek the death penalty.

On the Texas post that the fallen soldiers once called home, officials continued with their plans for deployment.

The processing center, where troops who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, has been up and running. Also the units that had soldiers who were either killed or wounded in the shooting are still set to go to Afghanistan in the coming months.

At the high school in Kiel, Wis. Saturday, people stood in line to get a final glimpse of Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger. She was what's called ``Army Proud.'' She was often seen in an Army hat or shirt and sported a tattoo that had a tattered American flag and read: ``All gave some. Some gave all. Sacrifice.''

Those words were painted on signs along the hallways that led to her former school's gymnasium, which was filled with people who remembered the 29-year-old as a determined, energetic young woman with a magnetic smile.

``It is that smile and that energy that keeps us going throughout this difficult time,'' her parents, Jeri Krueger and David Diem, said in a statement.

Their daughter joined the U.S. Army Reserves after the 2001 terrorist attacks and vowed to hunt down bin Laden. When her mother said she couldn't do it alone, the soldier told her: ``Watch me.''

In West Jordan, Utah, among those crowded into a Mormon chapel were Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Lt. Col. Lisa Olsen, Utah National Guard spokesman.

They joined the family and friends of Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka for the funeral honoring the 19-year-old.

Nemelka joined the Army just over a year ago and was to deploy in the coming months. Relatives say he was planning to ask his girlfriend to marry him in December.

Other funerals on Saturday included for Capt. John Gaffaney, 56, a psychiatric nurse who worked for San Diego County, Calif., and Pfc. Michael Pearson, 22, of Bolingbrook, Ill.

Pearson was a musician who liked to share his love of the guitar. During his service, a lone electric guitarist played a mournful rendition of ``The Star-Spangled Banner.''

Hours after the procession passed through the Indiana town, 84-year-old Pauline Baugman went for a stroll. She said DeCrow's death had left a pall of sadness over Plymouth.

``Everybody's kind of walking around with their head down today,'' she said. ``It's just so sad.''

Associated Press writers Rochelle Hines in Norman, Okla., Rick Callahan in Plymouth, Ind.; Dinesh Ramde in Milwaukee and Jennifer Dobner in West Jordan, Utah, contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

TOKYO (AP) President Barack Obama declared Saturday that an era of American disengagement in the globe's fastest-growing region is over and warned that the U.S. and its Asian partners ``will not be cowed'' by North Korea's continued defiance over its nuclear weapons and other provocations.

Obama also said a robust China should be welcomed, not feared, as a powerful partner on urgent challenges. Addressing Americans' worries about the economic and security threat from China's rising might and Asians' skepticism about U.S leadership, the president said: ``We welcome China's efforts to play a greater role on the world stage, a role in which their growing economy is joined by growing responsibility.''

In a 40-minute speech, Obama offered incentives for North Korea to abandon the nuclear weapons it is believed to already have and the production program it continues in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. He outlined a possible future of economic opportunity and greater global greater respect, saying, ``this respect cannot be earned through belligerence.''

``It should be clear where that path leads,'' Obama said. ``We will continue to send a clear message through our actions, and not just our words: North Korea's refusal to meet its international obligations will lead only to less security, not more.''

More broadly, the president's address to 1,500 prominent Japanese in a soaring downtown Tokyo concert hall was intended to showcase a United States that, under Obama's leadership, seeks deeper engagement in Asia. It was the fifth major foreign address of his 10-month presidency. He reached out to locals through several personal notes that delighted his audience, including calling himself ``America's first Pacific president,'' referring to his boyhood time in Indonesia and travels in Asia, and saluting the residents of Obama, Japan.

Acknowledging Asia's growing power and the perceptions here of America's parallel decline, Obama aides had said the chief aim for his eight-day trip through Asia wasn't so much to bring home specific ``deliverables'' but to convincingly press the point that the U.S. very much is in the Asian game.

Obama said Washington would work hard to strengthen alliances in Asia, such as with Japan and South Korea, build on newer ones with nations like China and Indonesia, and increase its participation with a burgeoning alphabet soup of Asian multilateral organizations. The involvement, the president said, is not just academic for Americans. It affects everyday, top-priority issues such as jobs, a cleaner environment and preventing dangerous weapons proliferation, he said.

``I want every American to know that we have a stake in the future of this region, because what happens here has a direct effect on our lives at home,'' Obama said. ``The fortunes of America and the Asia Pacific have become more closely linked than ever before.''

Obama also sounded free-trade notes sure to be welcome in Asia, where nations are rapidly seeking agreements with each other.

He said the U.S. would seek to join a trans-Pacific free-trade area, formed in 2006 between Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and Brunei. Vietnam and Australia are also said to be keen to join it.

The so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership is seen as a starting point for a possible regional free trade area comprising 21 countries of Asia-Pacific. Obama's announcement gives the proposal a boost.

On China, Obama called for harnessing China's clout to make progress on shared interests like weapons proliferation, a more solid global economy and climate agreements.

``In an interconnected world, power does not need to be a zero-sum game, and nations need not fear the success of another,'' he said.

He also said the United States ``will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear.'' And yet, clearly hoping to avoid overly irritating Beijing, Obama named none of the many and serious specific human rights concerns with respect to China, including Tibet, where authorities have suppressed religious freedom and national aspirations. Except for the brutal regime in Myanmar, he spoke only generally about human rights and democratic values.

``Indigenous cultures and economic growth have not been stymied by respect for human rights, they have been strengthened by it,'' the president said. ``Supporting human rights provides lasting security that cannot be purchased in any other way.''

Obama's remarks came near the start of a trip presenting him with risks at every stop.

In Japan, the relationship with the U.S. is on newly delicate footing after a change in leadership in Tokyo that has the Japanese moving toward greater independence from Washington and closer ties with the rest of Asia. Saturday night, Obama arrives in Singapore, where he is to join a larger meeting that includes the leader of a brutal regime in Myanmar, also known as Burma. He is the first U.S. president to make such close contact.

Then he flies to China, where relations with the U.S. are bedeviled by Beijing's global ambitions, as well as numerous issues including trade, currency, Taiwan, human rights and climate change. Obama ends his trip on an easier note in South Korea, an increasingly reliable U.S. ally.

Obama made Tokyo the venue for his speech, a symbolically important choice that displayed respect for Japan's long history as the U.S.' chief ally in Asia and one of the region's foremost democracies.

After his speech, Obama had lunch with Japan's Emperor Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko, bowing deeply as they welcomed him to the graceful grounds of the Imperial Palace in the heart of the bustling city.

Obama's speech won praise from several Asian analysts.

Shen Dingli, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, welcomed the remarks about not seeing China as a threat.

``He did not want to go to Asia to renew differences,'' Shen said. ``The differences are clear, everybody knows them. He wants to make clear we share some fundamental values.''

Some in Taiwan, which has had tense relations with China for decades, were less impressed.

``His stressing engagement with China will raise the question of what priority the U.S. gives to its security treaty with Japan,'' said Lo Chih-cheng, a political science professor at Taipei's Soochow University.

--

Associated Press writers Charles Hutzler, Vijay Joshi and Eric Talmadge contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

LOS ANGELES (AP) It turns out there's lots of water on the moon at least near the lunar south pole.

The discovery announced Friday comes from an analysis of data from a spacecraft NASA intentionally crashed into the moon last month.

``Indeed, yes, we found water. And we didn't find just a little bit, we found a significant amount,'' said Anthony Colaprete, the mission's principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center.

The lunar impact kicked up at least 25 gallons of water and that's only what scientists can see, Colaprete said.

Having an abundance of water on the moon would make it easier to set up a base camp for astronauts by providing drinking water and an ingredient for rocket fuel.

The latest finding is further evidence that the moon is not the dry, barren place it appears and could reinvigorate scientific interest.

``This is not your father's moon,'' said Greg Delory of the University of California, Berkeley, who was not part of the research. ``Rather than a dead and unchanging world, it could in fact be a very dynamic and interesting one.''

Delory said the next focus should be to figure out where the water comes from and how much of it there is.

NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, last month slammed into one of moon's permanently shadowed craters near the south pole to study whether ice was buried underneath.

The mission actually involved two moon shots. First, an empty rocket hull slammed into the Cabeus crater. A shepherding spacecraft recorded the drama live before it also crashed into the same spot four minutes later.

Though scientists were overjoyed with the plethora of data beamed back to Earth, the mission was a public relations dud. Space enthusiasts who stayed up all night to watch the spectacle did not see the promised debris plume in the initial images.

NASA scientists had predicted the twin impacts would spew six miles of dust into space. Instead, images revealed just a mile-high plume.

Scientists spent a month analyzing data from the spacecraft's spectrometers, instruments that can detect strong signals of water molecules in the plume.

Previous spacecraft have detected the presence of hydrogen in lunar craters near the poles, which could be evidence of ice. In September, scientists reported finding tiny amounts of water mixed into the lunar soil all over the lunar surface.

``We've had hints that there is water. This was almost like tasting it,'' said Peter Schultz, professor of geological sciences at Brown University and a co-investigator on the LCROSS mission.

Mission scientists said it would take more time to tease out what else was kicked up in the moon dust.

On the Net:

LCROSS mission: http://tinyurl.com/lunarwater

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The 220-215 roll call Saturday by which the House passed a Democratic-written health care bill.

A ``yes'' vote is a vote to pass the bill.

Voting yes were 219 Democrats and 1 Republican.

Voting no were 39 Democrats and 176 Republicans.

X denotes those not voting.

Present denotes those who voted they were ``present'' at the time of the vote but did not vote yes or no on the issue.

GEORGIA

Democrats Barrow, N; Bishop, Y; Johnson, Y; Lewis, Y; Marshall, N; Scott, Y.

Republicans Broun, N; Deal, N; Gingrey, N; Kingston, N; Linder, N; Price, N; Westmoreland, N.


ALABAMA

Democrats Bright, N; Davis, N; Griffith, N.

Republicans Aderholt, N; Bachus, N; Bonner, N; Rogers, N.

ALASKA

Republicans Young, N.

ARIZONA

Democrats Giffords, Y; Grijalva, Y; Kirkpatrick, Y; Mitchell, Y; Pastor, Y.

Republicans Flake, N; Franks, N; Shadegg, N.

ARKANSAS

Democrats Berry, Y; Ross, N; Snyder, Y.

Republicans Boozman, N.

CALIFORNIA

Democrats Baca, Y; Becerra, Y; Berman, Y; Capps, Y; Cardoza, Y; Chu, Y; Costa, Y; Davis, Y; Eshoo, Y; Farr, Y; Filner, Y; Garamendi, Y; Harman, Y; Honda, Y; Lee, Y; Lofgren, Zoe, Y; Matsui, Y; McNerney, Y; Miller, George, Y; Napolitano, Y; Pelosi, Y; Richardson, Y; Roybal-Allard, Y; Sanchez, Linda T., Y; Sanchez, Loretta, Y; Schiff, Y; Sherman, Y; Speier, Y; Stark, Y; Thompson, Y; Waters, Y; Watson, Y; Waxman, Y; Woolsey, Y.

Republicans Bilbray, N; Bono Mack, N; Calvert, N; Campbell, N; Dreier, N; Gallegly, N; Herger, N; Hunter, N; Issa, N; Lewis, N; Lungren, Daniel E., N; McCarthy, N; McClintock, N; McKeon, N; Miller, Gary, N; Nunes, N; Radanovich, N; Rohrabacher, N; Royce, N.

COLORADO

Democrats DeGette, Y; Markey, N; Perlmutter, Y; Polis, Y; Salazar, Y.

Republicans Coffman, N; Lamborn, N.

CONNECTICUT

Democrats Courtney, Y; DeLauro, Y; Himes, Y; Larson, Y; Murphy, Y.

DELAWARE

Republicans Castle, N.

FLORIDA

Democrats Boyd, N; Brown, Corrine, Y; Castor, Y; Grayson, Y; Hastings, Y; Klein, Y; Kosmas, N; Meek, Y; Wasserman Schultz, Y; Wexler, Y.

Republicans Bilirakis, N; Brown-Waite, Ginny, N; Buchanan, N; Crenshaw, N; Diaz-Balart, L., N; Diaz-Balart, M., N; Mack, N; Mica, N; Miller, N; Posey, N; Putnam, N; Rooney, N; Ros-Lehtinen, N; Stearns, N; Young, N.

HAWAII

Democrats Abercrombie, Y; Hirono, Y.

IDAHO

Democrats Minnick, N.

Republicans Simpson, N.

ILLINOIS

Democrats Bean, Y; Costello, Y; Davis, Y; Foster, Y; Gutierrez, Y; Halvorson, Y; Hare, Y; Jackson, Y; Lipinski, Y; Quigley, Y; Rush, Y; Schakowsky, Y.

Republicans Biggert, N; Johnson, N; Kirk, N; Manzullo, N; Roskam, N; Schock, N; Shimkus, N.

INDIANA

Democrats Carson, Y; Donnelly, Y; Ellsworth, Y; Hill, Y; Visclosky, Y.

Republicans Burton, N; Buyer, N; Pence, N; Souder, N.

IOWA

Democrats Boswell, Y; Braley, Y; Loebsack, Y.

Republicans King, N; Latham, N.

KANSAS

Democrats Moore, Y.

Republicans Jenkins, N; Moran, N; Tiahrt, N.

KENTUCKY

Democrats Chandler, N; Yarmuth, Y.

Republicans Davis, N; Guthrie, N; Rogers, N; Whitfield, N.

LOUISIANA

Democrats Melancon, N.

Republicans Alexander, N; Boustany, N; Cao, Y; Cassidy, N; Fleming, N; Scalise, N.

MAINE

Democrats Michaud, Y; Pingree, Y.

MARYLAND

Democrats Cummings, Y; Edwards, Y; Hoyer, Y; Kratovil, N; Ruppersberger, Y; Sarbanes, Y; Van Hollen, Y.

Republicans Bartlett, N.

MASSACHUSETTS

Democrats Capuano, Y; Delahunt, Y; Frank, Y; Lynch, Y; Markey, Y; McGovern, Y; Neal, Y; Olver, Y; Tierney, Y; Tsongas, Y.

MICHIGAN

Democrats Conyers, Y; Dingell, Y; Kildee, Y; Kilpatrick, Y; Levin, Y; Peters, Y; Schauer, Y; Stupak, Y.

Republicans Camp, N; Ehlers, N; Hoekstra, N; McCotter, N; Miller, N; Rogers, N; Upton, N.

MINNESOTA

Democrats Ellison, Y; McCollum, Y; Oberstar, Y; Peterson, N; Walz, Y.

Republicans Bachmann, N; Kline, N; Paulsen, N.

MISSISSIPPI

Democrats Childers, N; Taylor, N; Thompson, Y.

Republicans Harper, N.

MISSOURI

Democrats Carnahan, Y; Clay, Y; Cleaver, Y; Skelton, N.

Republicans Akin, N; Blunt, N; Emerson, N; Graves, N; Luetkemeyer, N.

MONTANA

Republicans Rehberg, N.

NEBRASKA

Republicans Fortenberry, N; Smith, N; Terry, N.

NEVADA

Democrats Berkley, Y; Titus, Y.

Republicans Heller, N.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Democrats Hodes, Y; Shea-Porter, Y.

NEW JERSEY

Democrats Adler, N; Andrews, Y; Holt, Y; Pallone, Y; Pascrell, Y; Payne, Y; Rothman, Y; Sires, Y.

Republicans Frelinghuysen, N; Garrett, N; Lance, N; LoBiondo, N; Smith, N.

NEW MEXICO

Democrats Heinrich, Y; Lujan, Y; Teague, N.

NEW YORK

Democrats Ackerman, Y; Arcuri, Y; Bishop, Y; Clarke, Y; Crowley, Y; Engel, Y; Hall, Y; Higgins, Y; Hinchey, Y; Israel, Y; Lowey, Y; Maffei, Y; Maloney, Y; Massa, N; McCarthy, Y; McMahon, N; Meeks, Y; Murphy, N; Nadler, Y; Owens, Y; Rangel, Y; Serrano, Y; Slaughter, Y; Tonko, Y; Towns, Y; Velazquez, Y; Weiner, Y.

Republicans King, N; Lee, N.

NORTH CAROLINA

Democrats Butterfield, Y; Etheridge, Y; Kissell, N; McIntyre, N; Miller, Y; Price, Y; Shuler, N; Watt, Y.

Republicans Coble, N; Foxx, N; Jones, N; McHenry, N; Myrick, N.

NORTH DAKOTA

Democrats Pomeroy, Y.

OHIO

Democrats Boccieri, N; Driehaus, Y; Fudge, Y; Kaptur, Y; Kilroy, Y; Kucinich, N; Ryan, Y; Space, Y; Sutton, Y; Wilson, Y.

Republicans Austria, N; Boehner, N; Jordan, N; LaTourette, N; Latta, N; Schmidt, N; Tiberi, N; Turner, N.

OKLAHOMA

Democrats Boren, N.

Republicans Cole, N; Fallin, N; Lucas, N; Sullivan, N.

OREGON

Democrats Blumenauer, Y; DeFazio, Y; Schrader, Y; Wu, Y.

Republicans Walden, N.

PENNSYLVANIA

Democrats Altmire, N; Brady, Y; Carney, Y; Dahlkemper, Y; Doyle, Y; Fattah, Y; Holden, N; Kanjorski, Y; Murphy, Patrick, Y; Murtha, Y; Schwartz, Y; Sestak, Y.

Republicans Dent, N; Gerlach, N; Murphy, Tim, N; Pitts, N; Platts, N; Shuster, N; Thompson, N.

RHODE ISLAND

Democrats Kennedy, Y; Langevin, Y.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Democrats Clyburn, Y; Spratt, Y.

Republicans Barrett, N; Brown, N; Inglis, N; Wilson, N.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Democrats Herseth Sandlin, N.

TENNESSEE

Democrats Cohen, Y; Cooper, Y; Davis, N; Gordon, N; Tanner, N.

Republicans Blackburn, N; Duncan, N; Roe, N; Wamp, N.

TEXAS

Democrats Cuellar, Y; Doggett, Y; Edwards, N; Gonzalez, Y; Green, Al, Y; Green, Gene, Y; Hinojosa, Y; Jackson-Lee, Y; Johnson, E. B., Y; Ortiz, Y; Reyes, Y; Rodriguez, Y.

Republicans Barton, N; Brady, N; Burgess, N; Carter, N; Conaway, N; Culberson, N; Gohmert, N; Granger, N; Hall, N; Hensarling, N; Johnson, Sam, N; Marchant, N; McCaul, N; Neugebauer, N; Olson, N; Paul, N; Poe, N; Sessions, N; Smith, N; Thornberry, N.

UTAH

Democrats Matheson, N.

Republicans Bishop, N; Chaffetz, N.

VERMONT

Democrats Welch, Y.

VIRGINIA

Democrats Boucher, N; Connolly, Y; Moran, Y; Nye, N; Perriello, Y; Scott, Y.

Republicans Cantor, N; Forbes, N; Goodlatte, N; Wittman, N; Wolf, N.

WASHINGTON

Democrats Baird, N; Dicks, Y; Inslee, Y; Larsen, Y; McDermott, Y; Smith, Y.

Republicans Hastings, N; McMorris Rodgers, N; Reichert, N.

WEST VIRGINIA

Democrats Mollohan, Y; Rahall, Y.

Republicans Capito, N.

WISCONSIN

Democrats Baldwin, Y; Kagen, Y; Kind, Y; Moore, Y; Obey, Y.

Republicans Petri, N; Ryan, N; Sensenbrenner, N.

WYOMING

Republicans Lummis, N.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

WASHINGTON (AP) A bipartisan House coalition voted Saturday to prohibit coverage of abortions in a new government-run health care plan that Democrats would establish to compete with private insurers.

The 240-194 vote on an amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., was a blow to liberals, who would have allowed the Obama administration and its successors to decide whether abortions would be covered by the government plan. Sixty-four Democrats joined 176 Republicans in favor of the prohibition.

Stupak's measure also would bar anyone getting federal health subsidies from purchasing private insurance polices that included abortion coverage.

``Let us stand together on principle no public funding for abortions, no public funding for insurance policies that pay for abortions,'' Stupak urged fellow lawmakers before the vote.

The amendment would bar the new government insurance plan from covering abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the mother is in danger. The Democrats' original legislation would have allowed the government plan to cover abortions, if the Health and Human Services secretary decided it should.

The amendment also would prohibit people who receive new federal health subsidies from buying insurance plans that include abortion coverage.

The Democrats' original bill would have allowed people getting federal subsidies to pay for abortion coverage with their own money. Abortion opponents dismissed that as an accounting gimmick.

Abortion rights advocates called the measure the biggest setback to women's reproductive rights in decades. Anti-abortion Democrats forced House leaders to bring it up for a vote by threatening to oppose the underlying bill, and efforts to reach a compromise fell apart Friday night.

``Like it or not, this is a legal medical procedure and we should respect those who need to make this very personal decision,'' said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.

Some Republicans considered voting ``present'' in hopes that might unravel support for the underlying health care bill among anti-abortion Democrats, but only one did, Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz.

``If I felt that the (health overhaul) bill could be killed by not advancing the Stupak amendment then it seems it would be prudent to vote in such a way that wouldn't advance the bill, but it doesn't appear that that's a possibility,'' Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., said before the vote.

The National Right to Life Committee and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops lobbied lawmakers in both parties on the abortion measure. The bishops said they would oppose the bill if it lacked a strict prohibition on any federal funding for abortions.

Stupak's language applies to policies sold in a federally regulated insurance exchange that would be set up in 2013. The overhaul bill envisions both private companies and the government offering policies in the exchange.

Under the Stupak amendment, people who do not receive federal insurance subsidies could buy private insurance plans in the exchange that include abortion coverage. People who receive federal subsidies could buy separate policies covering only abortions if they use only their own money to do it.

Companies selling insurance policies covering abortions would be required to offer identical policies without the abortion coverage.

Abortion-rights supporters say private insurers will not likely offer policies with abortion coverage in the exchange because many potential buyers will be getting federal subsidies and therefore wouldn't be able to purchase them.

Around 21 million people are expected to get coverage through the exchange by 2019, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The majority of Americans who get their insurance coverage from their employers would not be affected.

Abortion-rights supporters say the restrictions in the amendment go further than current law.

A law called the Hyde amendment which must be renewed annually bars federal funding for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger. The restrictions apply to Medicaid, forcing states that cover abortions for low-income women to pay for them with state revenues. Separate laws apply the restrictions to the federal employee health plan and the military.

Currently abortion coverage is widely available in the private market. A Guttmacher Institute study found that 87 percent of typical employer plans covered abortion in 2002. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey in 2003 found that 46 percent of workers in employer plans had abortion coverage. The studies asked different questions, which might help explain the disparity in the results.

Abortions in the first trimester typically cost between $350-$900, according to Planned Parenthood.

A health overhaul bill pending in the Senate also bars federal funding for abortion, but the language is less stringent. Discrepancies between the House and Senate measures would have to be reconciled before any final bill is passed.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The 13 people killed when an Army psychiatrist allegedly opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, included several people who shared the same profession as the alleged shooter, a father of three with ties to Laos whose family had a history of military service, a civilian who had returned to work a week after suffering a heart attack, and a psychiatric nurse who arrived at Fort Hood a day before the shooting. Here is a look at the victims.

Michael Grant Cahill

Cahill, a 62-year-old physician assistant, suffered a heart attack two weeks ago and returned to work at the base as a civilian employee after taking just one week off for recovery, said his daughter Keely Vanacker.

``He survived that. He was getting back on track, and he gets killed by a gunman,'' Vanacker said, her words bare with shock and disbelief.

Cahill, of Cameron, Texas, helped treat soldiers returning from tours of duty or preparing for deployment. Often, Vanacker said, Cahill would walk young soldiers where they needed to go, just to make sure they got the right treatment.

``He loved his patients, and his patients loved him,'' said Vanacker, 33, the oldest of Cahill's three adult children. ``He just felt his job was important.''

Cahill, who was born in Spokane, Wash., had worked as a civilian contractor at Fort Hood for about four years, after jobs in rural health clinics and at Veterans Affairs hospitals. He and his wife, Joleen, had been married 37 years.

Vanacker described her father as a gregarious man and a voracious reader who could talk for hours about any subject.

The family's typical Thanksgiving dinners ended with board games and long conversations over the table, said Vanacker, whose voice often cracked with emotion as she remembered her father. ``Now, who I am going to talk to?''

Maj. Libardo Eduardo Caraveo

Caraveo, 52, of Woodbridge, Va., arrived in the United States in his teens from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, knowing very little English said his son, also named Eduardo Caraveo.

He earned his doctorate in psychology from the University of Arizona and worked with bilingual special-needs students at Tucson-area schools before entering private practice.

His son told the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson that Caraveo had arrived at Fort Hood on Wednesday and was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. Eduardo Caraveo spoke to the newspaper from his mother's Tucson home.

His father's Web site says he offered marriage seminars with a company based in Woodbridge, Va.

Staff Sgt. Justin M. DeCrow

DeCrow, 32, was helping train soldiers on how to help new veterans with paperwork and had felt safe on the Army post.

``He was on a base,'' his wife, Marikay DeCrow, said in a telephone interview from the couple's home in Evans, Ga. ``They should be safe there. They should be safe.''

In a statement Saturday, she said her husband's ``infectious charm and wit always put others at ease.''

His wife said she wanted everyone to know what a loving man he was. The couple have a 13-year-old daughter, Kylah.

``He was well loved by everyone,'' she said through sobs. ``He was a loving father and husband and he will be missed by all.''

The couple were high school sweethearts who married in 1996. Marikay DeCrow said her husband was first stationed at Fort Gordon in 2000, and she had hoped they would reunite at their home in nearby Evans when another post there opened up.

DeCrow was stationed in Korea from September 2008 to August. He left in September to go to Fort Hood.

His father, Daniel DeCrow, of Fulton, Ind., said he talked to his son last week to ask him how things were going at Fort Hood.

``As usual, the last words out of my mouth to him were that I was proud of him,'' he said. ``That's what I said to him every time that I loved him and I was proud of what he was doing. I can carry that around in my heart.''

Capt. John Gaffaney

Gaffaney, 56, was a psychiatric nurse who worked for San Diego County, Calif., for more than 20 years and had arrived at Fort Hood the day before the shooting to prepare for a deployment to Iraq.

Gaffaney, who was born in Williston, N.D., had served in the Navy and later the California National Guard as a younger man, his family said. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he tried to sign up again for military service. Although the Army Reserves at first declined, he got the call about two years ago asking him to rejoin, said his close friend and co-worker Stephanie Powell.

``He wanted to help the boys in Iraq and Afghanistan deal with the trauma of what they were seeing,'' Powell said. ``He was an honorable man. He just wanted to serve in any way he can.''

His family described him as an avid baseball card collector and fan of the San Diego Padres who liked to read military novels and ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Gaffaney supervised a team of six social workers, including Powell, at the county's Adult Protective Services department. Ellen Schmeding, assistant deputy director for the county's Health and Human Services Agency, said Gaffaney was a strong leader.

He is survived by a wife and a son.

Spc. Frederick Greene

Greene, 29, of Mountain City, Tenn., went by ``Freddie'' and was active at Baker's Gap Baptist Church while he was growing up, said Glenn Arney, the church's former superintendent and a former co-worker of Greene's.

``I went to church with him, knew him all of his life. He was one of the finest boys you ever saw,'' Arney said.

Arney worked with Greene for several years at A.C. Lumber and Truss in Mountain City. The company designs and builds trusses, which are structures that support the roofs and floors of houses and other buildings.

``He was a hard worker. He was a computer whiz. He could design a truss. He could do about anything,'' Arney said.

Spc. Jason Dean Hunt

Hunt, 22, of Frederick, Okla., went into the military after graduating from Tipton High School in 2005 and had gotten married just two months ago, his mother, Gale Hunt, said. He had served 3 1/2 years in the Army, including a stint in Iraq.

Gale Hunt said two uniformed soldiers came to her door late Thursday night to notify her of her son's death.

Hunt, known as J.D., was ``just kind of a quiet boy and a good kid, very kind,'' said Kathy Gray, an administrative assistant at Tipton Schools.

His mother said he was family oriented.

``He didn't go in for hunting or sports,'' Gale Hunt said. ``He was a very quiet boy who enjoyed video games.''

He had re-enlisted for six years after serving his initial two-year assignment, she said. Jason Hunt was previously stationed at Fort Stewart in Georgia.

Sgt. Amy Krueger

Krueger, 29, of Kiel, Wis., joined the Army after the 2001 terrorist attacks and had vowed to take on Osama bin Laden, her mother, Jeri Krueger said.

Amy Krueger arrived at Fort Hood on Tuesday and was scheduled to be sent to Afghanistan in December, her mother told the Herald Times Reporter of Manitowoc.

Jeri Krueger recalled telling her daughter that she could not take on bin Laden by herself.

``Watch me,'' her daughter replied.

Kiel High School Principal Dario Talerico told The Associated Press that Krueger graduated from the school in 1998 and had spoken at least once to local elementary school students about her career.

``I just remember that Amy was a very good kid, who like most kids in a small town are just looking for what their next step in life was going to be and she chose the military,'' Talerico said. ``Once she got into the military, she really connected with that kind of lifestyle and was really proud to serve her country.''

Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka

Nemelka, 19, of the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan, Utah, chose to join the Army instead of going on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his uncle Christopher Nemelka said.

``As a person, Aaron was as soft and kind and as gentle as they come, a sweetheart,'' his uncle said. ``What I loved about the kid was his independence of thought.''

Aaron Nemelka was proud to serve and felt keenly the responsibility of representing his nation and his family, said another uncle, Michael Blades. Blades said several of Nemelka's relatives were in the military, including a grandfather who served in the Korean War and received a Purple Heart.

``He felt it was his duty to stand with them in defense of our country,'' Blades said.

Nemelka enjoyed soccer, bowling and snowboarding, and was an avid fan of the Utah Utes, he said.

The youngest of four children, Nemelka was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in January, his family said in a statement. Nemelka had enlisted in the Army in October 2008, Utah National Guard Lt. Col. Lisa Olsen said.

Blades said Nemelka had a tremendous love for his family and a deep sense of duty.

``His mission is completed,'' Blades said, his voice breaking. ``He now serves a higher calling in heaven.''

Pfc. Michael Pearson

Pearson, 22, of the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, Ill., quit what he figured was a dead-end furniture company job to join the military about a year ago.

Pearson's mother, Sheryll Pearson, said the 2006 Bolingbrook High School graduate joined the military because he was eager to serve his country and broaden his horizons.

``He was the best son in the whole world,'' she said. ``He was my best friend and I miss him.''

His cousin, Mike Dostalek, showed reporters a poem Pearson wrote. ``I look only to the future for wisdom. To rock back and forth in my wooden chair,'' the poem says.

At Pearson's family home Friday, a yellow ribbon was tied to a porch light and a sticker stamped with American flags on the front door read, ``United we stand.''

Neighbor Jessica Koerber, who was with Pearson's parents when they received word Thursday their son had died, described him as a man who clearly loved his family someone who enjoyed horsing around with his nieces and nephews, and other times playing his guitar.

``That family lost their gem,'' she told the AP. ``He was a great kid, a great guy. ... Mikey was one of a kind.''

Sheryll Pearson said she hadn't seen her son for a year because he had been training. She told the Tribune that when she last talked to him on the phone two days ago, they had discussed how he would come home for Christmas.

Capt. Russell Seager

Seager, 51, of Racine, Wis., was a psychiatrist who joined the Army a few years ago because he wanted to help veterans returning to civilian life, said his uncle, Larry Seager of Mauston.

Russell Seager's brother-in-law, Dennis Prudhomme, said Seager had worked with soldiers at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Milwaukee who were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He also taught classes at Bryant Stratton College in Milwaukee, said Prudhomme, who is married to Seager's sister.

Larry Seager said his nephew's death left the family stunned, especially because the psychiatrist only wanted to help soldiers improve their mental health.

``It's unbelievable. He goes down there to help out soldiers and then he ... ,'' Seager said, his voice trailing off. ``I still can't believe it.''

Russell Seager is survived by a wife and 20-year-old son.

Prudhomme said Seager was scheduled to go to Afghanistan in December and had gone to Fort Hood for training.

``Our family has suffered a great loss and we are all devastated,'' Seager's sister, Barbara Prudhomme, said in a statement read by her husband. ``We are very proud of the way Russell lived his life, both personally and professionally, and our hearts go out to all the victims and their families.''

Pvt. Francheska Velez

Velez, 21, of Chicago, was pregnant and preparing to return home. A friend of Velez's, Sasha Ramos, described her as a fun-loving person who wrote poetry and loved dancing.

``She was like my sister,'' Ramos, 21, said. ``She was the most fun and happy person you could know. She never did anything wrong to anybody.''

Family members said Velez had recently returned from deployment in Iraq and had sought a lifelong career in the Army.

``She was a very happy girl and sweet,'' said her father, Juan Guillermo Velez, his eyes red from crying. ``She had the spirit of a child.''

Ramos, who also served briefly in the military, couldn't reconcile that her friend was killed in this country just after leaving a war zone.

``It makes it a lot harder,'' she said. ``This is not something a soldier expects to have someone in our uniform go start shooting at us.''

Lt. Col. Juanita Warman

Warman, 55, of Havre De Grace, Md., was a military physician assistant with two daughters and six grandchildren.

A half-sister, Kristina Rightweiser, said Warman was from a military family. Their father, who died in 2007, was a ``career military man,'' Rightweiser served in the Air Force, and Rightweiser's brother is in the Coast Guard. The two women didn't grow up together, but reconnected after their father's death, Rightweiser said.

Warman ``loved the Army and loved her family very much,'' she said in a message sent through Facebook.

Another sister, Margaret Yaggie of Roaring Branch in north-central Pennsylvania, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Warman attended Pittsburgh Langley High School and put herself through school at the University of Pittsburgh. She said Warman spent most of her career in the military.

Warman at one point worked at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She wrote an article about using surgery to treat obesity in adolescents. An article from 2007 listed her as working in the mental health division of the Perry Point Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Maryland and co-leading a health fair discussion on ``Women Trauma and Returning Veterans.''

Pfc. Kham Xiong

Xiong, 23, of St. Paul, Minn., was a father of three whose family had a history of military service.

Xiong's father, Chor Xiong, is a native of Laos who fought the Viet Cong alongside the CIA in 1972; Chor's father, Kham's grandfather, also fought with the CIA; and Kham's brother, Nelson, is a Marine serving in Afghanistan.

Xiong's father said he was ``very mad.'' Through sniffles and tears, he said his son died for ``no reason'' and he has a hard time believing Kham is gone.

Kham Xiong was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan, and his sister Mee Xiong said the family would be able to understand if he would have died in battle.

``He didn't get to go overseas and do what he's supposed to do, and he's dead ... killed by our own people,'' Mee Xiong said.

Xiong was one of 11 siblings and came to the U.S. when he was just a toddler. He grew up in California, then moved to Minnesota with the family about 10 years ago, Chor Xiong said.

He was married and had three children ages 4, 2 and 10 months. His wife, Shoua, said they started dating in eighth grade, and the last time she saw her husband was Thursday morning at their Texas home.

She said he gave everyone a kiss and went to work. ``It was an ordinary day,'' she said. After she heard about the shooting, she tried to call him, but never got an answer.

At 3 a.m. Friday, the doorbell rang.

``My heart dropped,'' she said. ``I knew the reason they were here, but I asked them to tell me he was OK.''

Associated Press writers Jessica Gresko in Washington, Angela K. Brown at Fort Hood, Texas, Kate Brumback in Atlanta, Deanna Martin in Indianapolis, Desiree Hunter in Montgomery, Ala., Elliot Spagat in San Diego, Thomas Watkins in Los Angeles, Monica Rohr in Houston, Jennifer Dobner in Salt Lake City, Richard Green in Oklahoma City, Caryn Rousseau in Bolingbrook, Ill., and Robert Imrie in Wausau, Wis., and Sophia Tareen, Michael Tarm and Amy Shafer in Chicago contributed to this report. Forliti contributed from St. Paul, Minn.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

WASHINGTON (AP) In a victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed landmark health care legislation Saturday night to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous.

The 220-215 vote cleared the way for the Senate to begin a long-delayed debate on the issue that has come to overshadow all others in Congress.

A triumphant Speaker Nancy Pelosi likened the legislation to the passage of Social Security in 1935 and Medicare 30 years later and Obama issued a statement saying, ``I look forward to signing it into law by the end of the year.''

``It provides coverage for 96 percent of Americans. It offers everyone, regardless of health or income, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will have access to affordable health care when they need it,'' said Rep. John Dingell, the 83-year-old Michigan lawmaker who has introduced national health insurance in every Congress since succeeding his father in 1955.

In the run-up to a final vote, conservatives from the two political parties joined forces to impose tough new restrictions on abortion coverage in insurance policies to be sold to many individuals and small groups. They prevailed on a roll call of 240-194.

Ironically, that only solidified support for the legislation, clearing the way for conservative Democrats to vote for it.

The legislation would require most Americans to carry insurance and provide federal subsidies to those who otherwise could not afford it. Large companies would have to offer coverage to their employees. Both consumers and companies would be slapped with penalties if they defied the government's mandates.

Insurance industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions would be banned, and insurers would no longer be able to charge higher premiums on the basis of gender or medical history. In a further slap, the industry would lose its exemption from federal antitrust restrictions on price fixing and market allocation.

At its core, the measure would create a federally regulated marketplace where consumers could shop for coverage. In the bill's most controversial provision, the government would sell insurance, although the Congressional Budget Office forecasts that premiums for it would be more expensive than for policies sold by private firms.

A cheer went up from the Democratic side of the House when the bill gained 218 votes, a majority. Moments later, Democrats counted down the final seconds of the voting period in unison, and let loose an even louder roar when Pelosi grabbed the gavel and declared, ``the bill is passed.''

The bill drew the votes of 219 Democrats and Rep. Joseph Cao, a first-term Republican who holds an overwhelmingly Democratic seat in New Orleans. Opposed were 176 Republicans and 39 Democrats.

From the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada issued a statement saying, ``We realize the strong will for reform that exists, and we are energized that we stand closer than ever to reforming our broken health insurance system.''

In his written statement, Obama praised the House's action and said, ``now the United State Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will.''

Nearly unanimous in their opposition, minority Republicans cataloged their objections across hours of debate on the 1,990-page, $1.2 trillion legislation.

United in opposition, minority Republicans cataloged their objections across hours of debate on the 1,990-page, $1.2 trillion legislation.

``We are going to have a complete government takeover of our health care system faster than you can say, `this is making me sick,''' jabbed Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., adding that Democrats were intent on passing ``a jobs-killing, tax-hiking, deficit-exploding'' bill.

But with little doubt about the outcome, the rhetoric lacked the fire of last summer's town hall meetings, when some critics accused Democrats of plotting ``death panels'' to hasten the demise of senior citizens.

The bill is projected to expand coverage to 36 million uninsured, resulting in 96 percent of the nation's eligible population having insurance.

To pay for the expansion of coverage, the bill cuts Medicare's projected spending by more than $400 billion over a decade. It also imposes a tax surcharge of 5.4 percent on income over $500,000 in the case of individuals and $1 million for families.

The bill was estimated to reduce federal deficits by about $104 billion over a decade, although it lacked two of the key cost-cutting provisions under consideration in the Senate, and its longer-term impact on government red ink was far from clear.

Democrats lined up a range of outside groups behind their legislation, none more important than the AARP, whose support promises political cover against the cuts to Medicare in next year's congressional elections.

The nation's drug companies generally support health care overhaul. And while the powerful insurance industry opposed the legislation, it did so quietly, and the result was that Republicans could not count on the type of advertising campaign that might have peeled away skittish Democrats in swing districts.

Over all, the bill envisioned the most sweeping set of changes to the health care system in more than a generation, and Democrats said it marked the culmination of a campaign that Harry Truman began when he sat in the White House 60 years ago.

Debate on the House floor had already begun when Obama strode into a closed-door meeting of the Democratic rank and file across the street from the Capitol to make a final personal appeal to them to pass his top domestic priority.

Later, in an appearance at the White House, he said he had told lawmakers, ``to rise to this moment. Answer the call of history, and vote yes for health insurance reform for America.''

It appeared that a compromise brokered Friday night on the volatile issue of abortion had finally secured the votes needed to pass the legislation.

As drafted, the measure denied the use of federal subsidies to purchase abortion coverage in policies sold by private insurers in the new insurance exchange, except in cases of incest, rape or when the life of the mother was in danger.

But abortion foes won far stronger restrictions that would rule out abortion coverage except in those three categories in any government-sold plan. It would also ban abortion coverage in any private plan purchased by consumers receiving federal subsidies.

Disappointed Democratic abortion rights supporters grumbled about the turn of events, but pulled back quickly from any thought of opposing the health care bill in protest.

One, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., detailed numerous other benefits for women in the bill, including free medical preventive services and better prescription drug coverage under Medicare. ``Women need health care reform,'' she concluded in remarks on the House floor.

A Republican alternative was rejected on a near party line vote of 258-176.

It relied heavily on loosening regulations on private insurers to reduce costs for those who currently have insurance, in some cases by as much as 10 percent. But congressional budget analysts said the plan would make no dent in the ranks of the uninsured, an assessment that highlighted the difference in priorities between the two political parties.

Associated Press writers Phil Elliott, Alan Fram and Erica Werner contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)