After 10 months of partisan bickering, the U.S. House of Representatives finally moved one step closer to providing the American public near-universal health care Saturday evening when they passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act. For the first time in recent memory, representatives actually represented the people. Enough members of congress ignored the beckoning calls of special-interest groups and passed a responsible piece of legislation that was long overdue.

Though the Senate has yet to vote on its health care bill, the 219 Democrats and one Republican who voted to include the public option should be lauded for passing perhaps the single greatest piece of social reform since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

Escaping the House in a narrow 220-215 vote, the legislation would create a government-run health insurance option, extending coverage to 36 million uninsured Americans at a cost of $1.1 trillion dollars over the next 10 years. The bill could have easily shriveled into a frail assortment of watered-down policies, but House Democrats hunkered down and passed a bill that could actually solve the health care crisis.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is largely responsible for the bill’s success, due to her shrewd handling of the bill’s divisive provisions, such as federal funding for abortions. By making concessions with colleagues, Pelosi molded an impressive piece of legislation without abandoning the most important element of health care reform: the public option. The inclusion of a public option is the essence of responsible, pragmatic legislation. Rather than importing France or Britain’s socialized systems, policymakers must continue to shape legislation that provides Americans what they want and need. America is not about adhering to capitalist or socialist ideologies. Instead, it faces its problems by finding the plan that works, and the public option is the most realistic way to curb skyrocketing health care costs.

Americans have to realize the health care debate is not about capitalism or socialism. It is about the people and the future of this country. Congress’ task should be to change the health care system to meet the needs of the people – not short-term special interests.

Without the public option, reform is meaningless. Any legislation that passes without a government insurance plan would be incapable of lowering costs and do little more than funnel new customers into private insurance companies. When 46 million people remain uninsured and the nation’s health care system barely ekes out Slovenia in World Health Organization rankings, reform is clearly needed more than ever.

Saturday’s vote is hardly the end, but it is a major milestone on the road to health care reform. As the debate turns to the Senate, The Daily Evergreen is asking students to call Washington Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to make sure the pair continue to support health care reform. Until President Barack Obama signs a final bill, Americans cannot accept anything less than a real solution for one of the nation’s most daunting problems.