A pivotal Senate committee has approved a sweeping remake of the country’s health care system, delivering a long-sought boost to President Barack Obama’s goal of expanding coverage. The 14-9 vote in the Senate Finance Committee sets up a historic debate on the Senate floor and moves health care overhaul closer to reality than it has been for decades.

House Republicans are backing off an effort to reprimand a Florida congressman for saying the GOP’s health care plans amount to wanting sick people to “die quickly.“ Republicans led by Rep. Tom Price of Georgia drafted a resolution last week scolding Democrat Alan Grayson for his remarks. The measure mirrored a resolution that Democrats pushed through last month against Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., for shouting “You lie!“ at President Barack Obama.

The Senate Finance Committee has voted against creating a new government health insurance plan to compete with the private market.

The Congressman now known for making an outburst during President Obama’s Primetime Healthcare Speech was in Aiken, this weekend. Joe Wilson held a rally at The Aiken County’s Republican Headquarters. At the rally, he expressed his concern about the proposed health care reform bill. Count on our Fraendy Clervaud. He has the story.

President Barack Obama is making another impassioned plea for passage of his health care plan, calling it a “defining struggle of this generation.“

The entire country is talking about what South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson did Wednesday night…during President Obama’s speech on health care. WJBF News Channel 6’s SC Capitol reporter, Robert Kittle, has more on the reactions to the outburst.

The story strikes close to home: the Congressman represents voters right here in the two-state. Joe Wilson might have been one of 500 or so lawmakers in the crowd Wednesday night, but Thursday, he’s the one that everyone is talking about. WJBF News Channel 6’s Joy Howe reports.

President Barack Obama is keeping up the drumroll for health insurance change, saying new government figures paint a grim picture of 6 million Americans losing their coverage.

President Barack Obama addressed Congress in a hard push for Healthcare Reform. We have a rundown of the speech and reaction from lawmakers who represent the CSRA. UPDATE from ABC News:
President Obama awaits the fallout from Wednesday night’s passionate plea to Congress to pass his top priority…health care reform. Did he change minds? One of the biggest moments of interest came when a South Carolina Republican lawmaker yelled out in the middle of the address. What was behind the heckling from the Republican side of the room? ABC News John Hendren is in Washington with the latest.

Public disapproval of President Barack Obama’s handling of health care has jumped to 52 percent, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released hours before he makes his case for overhaul in a prime-time address to Congress.

Harsh realities are testing President Barack Obama’s “yes we can” ethic like never before as he appeals to Congress and the nation to keep alive his hopes for creating affordable health care for all. Just hours before Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, a leading lawmaker all but abandoned months of effort to bring both parties together in a historic compromise aimed at extending coverage to the nearly 50 million uninsured.

It is on the minds of most every American…healthcare. And Thursday, a special rally was held in downtown Augusta to talk more about it. WJBF News Channel 6’s Barclay Bishop was there, and has more.

President Barack Obama has set a major address on health care for Sept. 9 before Congress.

WJBF News Channel 6 wants to hear about your experience with the health care system, good or bad. Tell us what works, and what doesn’t, and why you support or oppose health care reform. Also, take part in our web poll.

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, of Georgia, is in Augusta Wednesday, meeting with medical and business officials about reforming the nation’s health care system. We asked him to share his thoughts about the passing of his colleague, Senator Edward Kennedy.