Democrats have hailed the approval of legislation extending healthcare to an additional 32 million Americans as a historic advance in social justice.
The speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi said it was comparable to the establishment of Medicare and Social Security.
The bill was passed in the House on Sunday evening by just seven votes.
Republicans have vowed to continue to challenge it, saying it is too expensive and promotes big government.
Senator John McCain, the defeated presidential candidate, warned that outside the capital “the American people are very angry”.
“They don’t like it, and we’re going to repeal this,” he told ABC News.
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill as early as Tuesday, after which it will go to the Senate where Democrats hope it will be passed by a simple majority under budget reconciliation.
