President Barack Obama said Sunday it was time for the Senate to "take the baton" on health care reform after the House passed its plan for overhauling the nation's health care system.

"For years we've been told that this couldn't be done," Obama said in a brief statement from the Rose Garden. "But last night the House proved different."

The Democratic-controlled House on Saturday narrowly passed the far-reaching legislation, 220-215, but the road ahead in the Senate promises to be rocky. The president said the House vote took courage for many lawmakers because of the heated and often misleading rhetoric that accompanied debate over how the change the system.

Republican lawmakers have vowed to do all they can to stop the Democratic plan, which they contend will cost jobs, raise insurance rates and lead to huge tax increases. The Senate has yet to schedule debate on its version of health care reform.

"The House bill is dead on arrival in the Senate," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday. "It was a bill written by liberals for liberals."

A Democratic colleague, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, predicted an overhaul would pass the Senate because "it's essential" to the country's economic success and people's quality of life.

"It will take time," he added.

House Republicans were nearly unanimous in opposing the plan that would expand coverage to tens of millions of Americans and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry.

The legislation would require most Americans to carry insurance and provide federal subsidies to those who otherwise could not afford it. Large companies would have to offer coverage to their employees. Both consumers and companies would be slapped with penalties if they defied the government's mandates.

Insurance industry practices such as denying coverage because of medical conditions would be banned, and insurers would no longer be able to charge higher premiums on the basis of gender or medical history. The industry would also lose its exemption from federal antitrust restrictions on price fixing and market allocation.

At its core, the measure would create a federally regulated marketplace where consumers could shop for coverage. In the bill's most controversial provision, the government would sell insurance, although the Congressional Budget Office forecasts that premiums for it would be more expensive than for policies sold by private companies.

People in the Valley gave the plan mixed reviews.

Troy Vincent, who owns an architecture firm, said he backs the plan. He said, "I have a very small firm so we just have very basic health care for me and my family."

He said he's all for any plan that makes health care more affordable.

Vincent said, "If there's something, anything they can do to help ease the tension on expenses by being able to provide my son health care would be great."

But not everyone CBS 5 News talked to is on board. Don Blackman said he's not surprised the bill passed, but that doesn't mean he's happy about it.

The senior citizen said he's not sure the plan is good for him. Blackman said the fact the bill barely squeaked by means it's far from perfect. He hopes the lack of support will pay off as it heads to the Senate. "I think, at least I hope that it'll hit a few more bumps along the road and that perhaps it'll either be changed considerably or perhaps in a few years we can repeal it."