CBO Estimate: Senate Health Bill Costs $849B

Reid, McConnell move to get people home for Xmas Eve

(NEWSER) - It looks like senators and their staffs will be home for Christmas Eve after all. The final vote on health care legislation has been moved up to 8am Thursday, reports the LA Times . Harry Reid and GOP leader Mitch McConnell announced the move today after a set of procedural votes cleared the Senate with the necessary 60 votes. Republicans could have delayed Thursday's action until 9pm, but McConnell chose not to do so, notes the Post . More»

Dems hail first key step in 'historic victory'

(NEWSER) - A filibuster strategy by Senate Republicans against the health care reform bill was shot down early this morning in a move that clearly signals the measure's likely passage before Christmas. The Senate voted 60-40 for cloture to short-circuit a GOP tactic aimed at killing a package of changes to the bill. "Let's make history," said Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin shortly before bill supporters flexed their muscle at 1am on the Senate floor. The vote ended hours of acrimonious debate and a race to get snowbound senators to the Capitol, which prompted GOP Sen. Tom Coburn at one point to ask Americans to pray "that somebody can't make the vote tonight." More»

Dems will be lucky to get it through before xmas

(NEWSER) - The House version of the health bill galloped from introduction to passage in just 10 days, but the Senate's version won't be through until Christmas at the earliest. Suzy Khimm at the New Republic explains the reasons for the snail's pace.

• The Senate has to vote on a “motion to proceed" before the bill hits the floor, and Harry Reid will need his 60 votes in the bag before that happens.

Both sides have vocal opponents, could halt bill without compromise

(NEWSER) - With a last-second concession barring federal dollars from funding abortions, Nancy Pelosi largely skirted the full brunt of the issue, but Harry Reid may not be so lucky. The Senate majority leader likely won't get the 60 votes he needs without similar language— which a Planned Parenthood VP calls a “middle-class abortion ban”—but pro-choice lawmakers could also stall a too-restrictive bill, Politico reports. More»

But Senate, House leaders not united on public option

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid declared "90% agreement" in the Senate on health care reform today after a meeting with President Obama. Reid and Nancy Pelosi expressed optimism that the president's address to Congress tomorrow will bolster support for reform, the Hill reports. The Senate Majority Leader is confident that the speech will at least defuse some of the “ridiculous falsehoods” that have so far dominated the debate. More»