Following Saturday night's narrow 220-to-215 vote by the House to advance reform on the nation's health care system, two of the city's Democratic representatives had mixed reactions over the outcome.

Congressman Charles Rangel voted in favor of the health care plan and praised House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

"This is just the beginning. We have a lot of work to do and under Nancy Pelosi's leadership she was able to spend so many hours, weeks, so many months around this nation, making certain we stayed on target," Rangel said.

Among the 39 Democrats who voted against the bill was Congressman Michael McMahon, who represents Staten Island and Brooklyn.

A small group of angry constituents voiced their displeasure outside his office on Staten Island Sunday afternoon.

“I want to know if he's supporting big insurance or the people in his district,” asked Kathleen Kelly of advocacy group Moveon.org.

“I think it's unconscionable. The man courted the progressive Democratic vote,” said angry constituent Thomas Good.

McMahon says he campaigned on overhauling the nation’s health care system and he still wants to vote for reform – but he says this bill is not it. He claims there are no efforts to contain costs and ensure premiums will not go up, and that the burden is too great for his constituents.

“It will cut funding that will go to hospitals in this district to the tune of $25 million per hospital per year,” McMahon said. “Seniors will lose Medicare advantage, a program that close to 50 percent of the seniors in this district use.”

The House approved the landmark legislation late Saturday night.

“Moments like this are why they sent us here, to finally meet the challenges that Washington has put off for decades, to make their lives better and this nation stronger, to move America forward,” said President Barack Obama.

House Speaker Pelosi called the passage a victory for the American people and thanked her fellow colleagues and the president's leadership in the process.

"Without President Obama in the White House, this victory would not have been possible," Pelosi said. "He provided the vision and the momentum for us to get the job done for the American people."

A last-minute amendment prohibiting coverage of abortions helped secure the winning votes. But almost every Republican voted against the bill, saying it would eliminate jobs, hike taxes and raise the deficit.

"What we don't need to do is to create this giant bureaucracy, spend all of this tax money, imprison our children's future by passing this 2,000 page bill," said House Minority Leader John Boehner.

The 10-year, $1.2 trillion plan would expand health coverage to the tens of millions of Americans who lack it.

It would require most Americans to carry insurance and force large companies to offer coverage to their employees.

Americans who don't have insurance or can't afford it will be provided with government subsidies.

The measure would create a federally regulated marketplace where consumers could shop for coverage, and it would allow the government to sell insurance.

Insurance companies also would no longer be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions.

The bill now goes before the U.S. Senate.