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The Spectacle Blog

Senate Democrats Advance Health Care Bill

By Philip Klein on 12.21.09 @ 1:20AM

On a straight party line vote held after 1 a.m., Democrats just voted 60 to 40 to cut off debate on Sen. Harry Reid's final changes to the health care bill.

In the coming days, there will be a number of procedural votes leading up to final passage, which is expected on Christmas Eve. But that's all a formality at this point. Democrats will get a health care bill through the Senate.

By voting in the middle of the night to block a Republican filibuster attempt, Democrats took a big step toward passing health legislation, but they’ll still encounter a number of obstacles before President Obama can sign it into law.

The version that passed the House of Representatives has both a public option and stronger abortion language. Liberals and pro-life Democrats in the House are promising a fight during the conference that will merge the two bills, and any concessions to them could upset the delicate balance in the Senate that allowed Majority Leader Harry Reid to cobble together 60 votes. With that said, so far Democrats have proven willing to cut whatever deals they need to in order to get a health care bill across the finish line, and that same dynamic is likely to play out during the remaining negotiations.

View all comments (4) | Leave a comment

Oldefarte| 12.21.09 @ 11:35AM

I consider this WELFARECARE a done deal; so the only question now is, can Americans legally sue [and possibly overturn on legal grounds] this governmental proclamation of forcing Americans to purchase health insurance? Additionally, will Americans have the fortitude and will to go to the polls in 2010 and begin to dismantle same by defeating any/all incumbent Democrats and Republicans who facilitated it passage?

Eric Cartman| 12.21.09 @ 11:42AM

Welcome to the United States of Detroit! That will be what this country looks like in years to come.

KC| 12.21.09 @ 4:22PM

Like members of a street gang, the Democrats have done what was asked of them by their gang leader Reid. Under the cover of darkness, in the middle of the night, they betrayed the people of this country for their own personal gain. They now have the blood of the Constitution on their hands, so there's no turning back. They must finish what they started and sieze total control of the United States hiding behind the protection of their party, or face the American people.