US President Barack Obama has welcomed the approval of a landmark healthcare bill by the US House of Representatives late Saturday, calling it a “watershed moment” and expressing confidence that the Senate would pass its own version of the legislation.

In a statement issued shortly after the House passed the bill in a narrow 220-215 vote, Obama praised “the hard work of the House,” and added that “we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America. Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will."

Obama’s fight to extend health coverage to an estimated 36 million uninsured Americans now moves to the US Senate, which is working on its own healthcare bill.

The two bills must then be reconciled by lawmakers from both chambers of Congress before being put forward for final approval.

But in the Senate, progress has been stymied as Majority Leader Harry Reid searches for a way to win the 60 votes required to ensure the passage of the legislation.

Reid has been awaiting cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) before unveiling a Senate bill.

“We hope to receive CBO scores back on our draft proposals in the coming days, and look forward to bringing a final bill to the Senate floor as soon as possible,” said Reid in a statement released shortly after the House vote.

‘The bill is passed’ – but narrowly

In a high-stakes vote late Saturday, the House finally approved the 10-year, trillion-dollar plan on which Obama has staked his domestic agenda.

Saturday’s vote followed an extraordinary personal appeal by Obama, calling on lawmakers to rise up to the occasion.

When the vote finally came, the House erupted in roars when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared, “The bill is passed.”

But it was a narrow margin, with only a single Republican, Representative Joseph Cao of Louisiana, breaking party ranks in favour of the House bill, while 39 Democrats voted against it.

A ‘critical victory’

Reporting from Washington, FRANCE 24’s Guillaume Meyer said the vote was a “critical victory” for Obama, who is one step to closer to achieving healthcare reform that has eluded other US political leaders for over 40 years.

The House bill would create a government-backed insurance plan, popularly known as a "public option," to compete with private firms and would end denial of coverage based on pre-existing medical problems.

Under the White House-backed bill, Americans would have to buy insurance and most employers would have to offer coverage to their workers, though some small businesses would be exempt and the government would offer subsidies.

The United States is the only industrialized democracy that does not ensure that all of its citizens have healthcare coverage.