By Meena Kar
Nov.9, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The Health care reform bill, which has been criticized for several reasons, has got its way cleared from the House of Representatives. The bill not only gained Democrats’ votes but also received support of the Republican candidate Joseph Cao, which came as a surprise to many people of the country. He was the only Republican member in the House, to support the bill and cast vote in its favor.

Though the other Republicans opposed the bill, he gave his consent as the bill included abortions restrictions which he had demanded earlier. After he polled his vote supporting the bill, he made a statement to justify the reason for supporting the bill. He was quoted saying, “had to make a decision of conscience based on the needs of the people in my district.” In an interview to CNN, Rep. Cao said that he supported the bill as there was a passage which restricted abortions in the country. His decision might not support the views of the Republican party but Cao did not find his decision to be wrong, as it will have beneficial results for his district.

In the last election, he won over William Jefferson, the democratic candidate who had completed several terms in the area. This shows his popularity in the region and it is expected that his decision to support the bill would be popular among people. According to sources, Cao, who came to America in his childhood, later became a student of Roman Catholic priesthood. He is also a lawyer and the earliest Vietnamese American member of Congress. Before this health care reform vote, he has taken several actions for the benefit of New Orleans.