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House Democrats yesterday unveiled a plan that would force the richest 2 million U.S. taxpayers to shoulder much of the cost of an expansion of the nation's health-care system, agreeing on a provision to impose a surtax of as much as 5.4 percent on those making more than $1 million a year.

The House proposal aims to extend insurance coverage to 37 million Americans over the next decade, covering more people through Medicaid and providing subsidies to help others meet a new federal mandate to purchase insurance. Democratic aides said the proposal would cost more than $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, and would ensure that 97 percent of Americans were enrolled in a health plan by 2015.