Congressman Zach Wamp on Sunday night voted against what he called "the government takeover of health care," but it was approved by a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Wamp said, "This is a defining moment in the history of our country. At no time has the federal legislature mandated that the American people buy anything. If this is enacted into law, everyone in this country has to buy health insurance under the force of law. This is not right. It is an unconstitutional effort in my view, and an extraordinary government takeover of one-sixth of our economy. We need to stand against it with everything that we have.

"As a Tennessean, I'm gravely concerned about what this will do to our state. It will force hundreds of thousands of people onto TennCare, our state's Medicaid program. It is a multi-billion dollar mandate on Tennessee and we do not have the money to pay for it. We will not raise taxes, we will not have a state income tax and we will not go into debt because of this mandate. That's why Tennessee's Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen has called it the 'mother of all unfunded mandates.' If it's enacted into law, I'm going to help lead the repeal effort. Based on our state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment, we have to stand against this federal government mandate on the states.

"The health care system needs to be improved, but this bill is not the way to go. We should work incrementally on measures that will lower costs, increase access to more affordable care and give citizens more control over their health care decisions without a takeover by the federal government. The right kind of reform would offer access to coverage for all Americans, improve the health care delivery system, hold health insurance companies more accountable, rein in out of control costs and provide responsible medical liability reform."

Retiring Middle Tennessee Congressman Bart Gordon, who voted for the meansure, said, “The bill passed today will reduce health care costs for families and small businesses; improve access to affordable care, regardless of pre-existing conditions; and lower our budget deficit. This bill will bring about major, commonsense remedies to our system that most Tennesseans agree are necessary, and it will do so while remaining fiscally responsible.

“Over the years, many Middle Tennesseans have told me how their families have struggled to get adequate and affordable health care. I voted for them today—people like Sherry in Eagleville whose family was evicted when medical bills wiped out their income, Rita in Liberty whose epileptic son was denied insurance, and Beverly in Cookeville who could not get employee-based health care even though she and her husband both worked.

“Because health care accounts for one out of every five dollars of the federal budget, this bill will be critical to the strength of our economy, our families and our nation’s fiscal solvency. We’ve debated this issue for almost a full year. Now is the time to move forward, look at how it benefits families and small businesses, and address the economic challenges our communities are facing.”

Senator Lamar Alexander said, "This is an historic mistake. And unlike Social Security, Medicare and civil rights legislation, the only thing bipartisan about it is the opposition to it.

"The mistake is to expand a health care delivery system that is already too expensive instead of reducing its cost so more Americans can afford health insurance.

"This taxes job creators in the middle of a recession. It means Medicare cuts and premium increases for millions of Americans. When you include the cost of paying doctors who serve Medicare patients, it will increase the national debt.

"It will force governors to cut higher education funding, and raise taxes and tuition to pay for new Medicaid costs. In Tennessee, the governor says the cost will be $1.1 billion or more over five years.

"And the last-minute Washington takeover of the student loan program will add a half trillion more to the debt and overcharge 19 million student loans to help pay for health care."

U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis released the following statement on Sunday's healthcare vote:

"Having analyzed this issue as the congressman from the Fourth Congressional District, and as I have articulated to constituents in Tennessee and leaders in Washington, there are reasons why I could not support this legislation. One of the main reasons, if not the most important, being that the overwhelming majority of the constituents I represent opposed this plan, regardless of their party affiliation."

Tony Garr of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign (THCC) said the group "is thrilled that the U.S. House of Representatives, along with Tennessee’s Congressmen Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper, and Bart Gordon, have made history by passing national health care reform.

“THCC has been working toward this moment for 21 years. It is only fitting that denying coverage for children with pre-existing conditions should end immediately. Why it took so long is the real question.

"While the full reform will be implemented over a period of four years, Tennesseans can expect to see the following benefits beginning day one of the law being enacted this year:

"1. No more annual insurance caps on coverage;

"2. End of rescissions, that is, eliminating the insurance practice of dumping sick people who have paid their premiums;

"3. End pre-existing condition exclusions for children and, over time, all pre-existing condition exclusions would be eliminated;

"4. Parents may choose to carry their children on their health insurance policy until their 26th birthday; and

"5. Begin to completely close the Medicare Part D Donut Hole through a $250 rebate to seniors.

"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that reform will reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next 20 years by including measures in the companion Reconciliation bill.

"After passing the Senate’s health reform bill, the House passed a companion bill to the reform called the Reconciliation bill. This bill amends the reform bill with additional deficit reduction components. The Reconciliation bill now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to pass later this week. The Tennessee Health Care Campaign calls upon both its U.S. Senators to stand up for deficit reduction and stand with the American people and vote in favor of the Reconciliation bill."