Obama's Christmas Present

Without a single Republican vote, the United States Senate passed a sweeping health care reform bill in a landslide, shortly after 7:00 in the morning on Christmas Eve. After months of intense back and forth, and more than three weeks of continuous floor debate, the bill moved through the Senate by a gaping 60-39 margin.

The House of Representatives previously passed a much stronger version of reform with a tighter 220-215 margin. The two versions will now be merged in conference committee negotiations, with the House pushing for more generous subsidies for those required to buy insurance and the Senate attempting to hold the line. The cross-Capitol negotiations will not involve the Republican Party.

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who cast the deciding 60th vote to break a GOP filibuster, said after the vote that the conference report could not include 'material changes' if it wanted to keep his support.

Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), whose name is upon the House bill, was on hand for the Senate vote Thursday. He predicted that the House would eventually fall in line. 'I think that the House will come together behind this bill,' he said. Asked what the House would need, he declined to say. 'In a poker game, I never show my cards.'

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