U.S. House unveils sweeping healthcare plan

WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. House leaders vowed to get a healthcare bill passed before the August recess, after unveiling a sweeping proposal to revamp the healthcare system that includes tax hikes on couples earning more than $350,000 and a new government-run health plan option.

"We cannot go home for a recess unless the House and the Senate" act on healthcare, said Henry Waxman, chairman of the Energy and Commerce committee, which worked on the bill.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed to complete a vote on the bill before the August recess.

The joint proposal from three House panels comes after months of negotiations in the Democratic-led Congress and with President Barack Obama, who has made reining in spiraling healthcare costs and providing medical coverage to an estimated 46 million uninsured his signature domestic policy goal.

Progress on a Senate bill has been slower and the timeline for its introduction has slipped. (Reporting by Kim Dixon; editing by Andre Grenon)