See the following reports, including a video from CNN, on the Senate passing health reform. The vote was 60-40 along party lines as the Democrats were able to secure their necessary majority.
The bill still includes tens of billions in cuts to Medicare home health payments, although re-basing is delayed until 2014 and Senator John Kerry’s amendment to reduce the cuts by nearly $5 billion was included.
Elated Senate Democrats won the first critical procedural vote required to advance major health care legislation just after 1 a.m. this morning, one of four votes required this week to pass the proposal by their self-imposed Christmas deadline.
The Senate bill, once completed, must be reconciled with the bill adopted by the House last month, and there are substantial differences between the two. The House measure, for instance, includes a government-run health insurance plan, or public option, that was dropped from the Senate bill.
UPDATE: Senate officially passes reform on Christmas Eve. See this story for more details.
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