It was the trickiest legislative move ever accomplished in the Congress. Hereâs my best play-by-play: Obamacare was signed into law in March 2010. If you recall, Nancy Pelosiâs Democratic majority in the House of Representatives was unable to pass their version of a healthcare law. Because all revenue bills have to originate in the House, the Senate found a bill that met those qualifications: HR3590, a military housing bill. They essentially stripped the bill of its original language and turned it into the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), aka Obamacare.