HOUSE PASSES HEALTHCARE BILL AS TRUMP GETS MAJOR WIN

The American Health Care Act passed through the House of Represenatives on Thursday, in a major win for President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan after a series of fits and starts on the Republican plan to overhaul the US healthcare system.

The legislation passed by a 217-213 margin, with 20 Republicans supporting the bill and all Democrats voting against it.

The AHCA succeeded after a last-minute amendment was added to the bill on Wednesday night to win over moderate holdouts. The addition convinced members who expressed concern over changes to the bill that experts said would undermine protections for Americans with preexisting conditions.

A victorious House vote for Republicans comes just over a month after the original version of the AHCA was yanked from the House floor after a cohort of moderates and conservatives in the GOP conference opposed it.

This is a developing story...