House passes rebuke legislation to Obamacare

After the catastrophic launch of President Barack Obama's health care website and the caustic criticism the followed, the House of Representatives sent to the Senate on Friday a legislative censure against the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The Republican bill, which passed with 39 Democratic votes, would give insurance companies the option to sell inexpensive and less comprehensive health coverage that had been cancelled when it didn't meet standards of the Obamacare. The measure passed 261-157.

However, House Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi denied Democratic support for the bill meant her party was shrinking its support for the president's bill, despite the troubled rollout of the health care legislation.

"There's a lot of whoop-de-do and ado about what's happening," Pelosi told NBC's Meet the Press TV program on Sunday.

"It doesn't mean: Oh, it's a political issue, so we're going to run away from it. No. It's too valuable for the American people," she added, saying "Democrats stand tall in support of the Affordable Care Act." 

Obamacare is widely considered Obama's most significant domestic policy, which among many things is supposed to help millions of uninsured American's afford quality health insurance.

But the failed Oct. 1 launch of the website has shaken confidence in the president, with polls in the last six weeks showing low approval ratings. Indeed, Obama gave a humbling speech this week, in which he admitted to having partly misrepresented his health care law.

Insurance companies have been canceling health care policies for millions of American's because under Obamacare they were considered sub-standard. However, Obama had repeatedly told voters that if they liked their health plan they could keep it, which turned out not to be true.

"There are times I thought we were kind of slapped around unjustly," Obama said. "This one's deserved."

"There is no doubt that our failure to roll out the ACA (Affordable Care Act) smoothly has put a burden on Democrats, whether they're running or not, because they stood up and supported this," Obama added.