Washington ( CNN ) -- The House of Representatives on Saturday night passed a sweeping health care bill by a vote of 220-215 . With the passage of H.R . 3962 , the Affordable Health Care for America Act , proponents of health care reform took an important step forward , but turning the bill into law remains uncertain . It 's unclear when the Senate will vote on a version of the health care legislation debated in that chamber . If the Senate passes its bill , the House and Senate bills would have to be reconciled into one document and voted on again . The House Democrats needed 218 votes to ensure passage of the bill . On Saturday , it appeared the vote would come down to the wire , as the intentions of some conservative Democrats remained unknown . In the final tally , 219 Democrats voted for the legislation , and 39 voted against it . Rep. Joe Cao ( R-Louisiana ) was the only Republican who voted in favor of the bill . Read the House bill ( PDF ) Democrats began counting down with eight seconds left in the voting period and erupted in a loud cheer when the hotly debated legislation was passed . Republicans in the chamber stood across the floor , some with their arms folded . `` Oh what a night , '' said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a news conference after the House adjourned its session for the night . She thanked President Obama and her colleagues who fought to get the bill passed . The Republican National Committee released a statement after the vote . `` Today with help from their liberal House allies , President Obama and Nancy Pelosi finally got what they have been creating behind closed doors these past months -- a government-run health careexperiment that will increase families ' health care costs , increase the deficit , increase taxes on small businesses and the middle class , and cut Medicare , '' the statement said . Earlier , the House passed an amendment to pending health care legislation that prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option and in the insurance `` exchange '' the bill would create . The vote passed 240-194 . Share your thoughts on the health care debate . A second amendment considered by the House , introduced by Minority Leader John Boehner , which would have substituted several sections of the health care bill dealing with insurance , did not pass . Legislators voted against the amendment 258-176 . The first amendment , introduced by anti-abortion Democrats , bans federal funds for abortion services in the public option and in the insurance `` exchange '' the bill would create . Its consideration was considered a big win for them and for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops , which used its power -- especially with conservative Democrats in swing congressional districts -- to help force other Democratic leaders to permit a vote that most of them oppose . The prohibition , introduced by Democratic members , including Rep. Brad Ellsworth , D-Indiana , and Rep. Bart Stupak , D-Michigan , would exclude cases of rape , incest or if the mother 's life is in danger . Republicans strongly supported the measure . The GOP accounted for 174 of the votes in favor of the amendment , with 1 Republican voting `` present . '' On the Democrats ' side , 64 voted for the measure , and 194 voted against . Earlier Saturday , President Obama said members of the House of Representatives face the chance of a lifetime as they consider the legislation . After a meeting with the House Democratic leadership , the president said he told lawmakers that `` opportunities like this come around maybe once in a generation . '' `` This is their moment , this is our moment , to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us , '' Obama told reporters in the White House rose garden . `` Even when it 's hard , especially when it 's hard , this is our moment to deliver . '' CNN 's Dana Bash , Elaine Quijano , Lisa Desjardins , Alan Silverleib , Paul Steinhauser and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .
NEW : House passes health-care reform bill with mostly Democratic support . Amendment passes banning most abortions under public option . Comment: