The real fight is still to come, and we're going to win.

I won't sugarcoat it: We lost tonight, and it hurts. It was down to the wire, but Nancy Pelosi's outrageous trillion-dollar-plus budget-busting, tax-hiking Washington takeover of health care passed the House tonight.

But keep it in perspective, because this defeat gives us great hope for ultimate victory.

The Democrats have an 80 vote majority in the House of Representatives, a still popular (though faltering) president, and total control of the House floor because of the restrictive rules of the body. House passage was supposed to be automatic, and it was originally supposed to happen in June. With an 80 vote majority, they could only manage to pass this disastrous bill by 5 measly votes, 220-215.

Only one Republican, Joseph Cao (Louisiana, 2nd District) joined Democrats in favor of a Washington takeover.

Obama and Pelosi were slowed down because the American people took to the streets in unprecedented numbers, made their voices heard, and put President Obama and Speaker Pelosi to the test. After many, many grinding months, the Democrats were able to just barely squeak their Washington takeover of health care through the House.

The part that was supposed to be easy for them was very hard, and now we must make the part that was supposed to be hard impossible.

Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats don't have the luxury of a big majority. They need 60 votes for cloture to even begin debate on the bill, 60 votes to waive the budget rules that the bill will violate, and 60 votes for cloture on final passage. There are 60 Democrats in the Senate. A far cry from the 80 seat majority in the House.

We've been fighting for months, but we can't rest. In fact we must now redouble our efforts, with the future of our health care and our economic prosperity hanging in the balance.

Take heart that your efforts have made a big difference. Tonight was a setback, but if we keep making our voices heard we can and will prevail.

Keep Washington's hands off our health care!

Phil Kerpen
Director of Policy
Americans for Prosperity