UPDATE: Health Care Reform bill survives cloture vote in Senate

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In an historic early morning vote, the Senate voted for cloture on its version of the Health Care Reform bill along party lines. Health Bill Passes Key Test in the Senate With 60 Votes

Senate Democrats held ranks early Monday in a dead-of-night procedural vote that proved they had locked in the decisive margin needed to pass a far-reaching overhaul of the nation’s health care system.

The roll was called shortly after 1 a.m., with Washington still snowbound after a weekend blizzard, and the Senate voted on party lines to cut off a Republican filibuster of a package of changes to the health care bill by the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada.

The vote was 60 to 40 — a tally that is expected to be repeated four times as further procedural hurdles are cleared in the days ahead, and then once more in a dramatic, if predictable, finale tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Both parties hailed the vote as seismic.

Democrats said it showed them poised to reshape the health system after decades of failed attempts.

“Health care in America ought to be a right, not a privilege,” said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut. “Since the time of Harry Truman, every Congress, Republican and Democrat, every president, Democrat and Republican, have at least thought about doing this. Some actually tried.”

The 1 a.m. Monday vote was on a motion to cut off debate on Mr. Reid’s manager’s package. A simple majority vote to approve the package is scheduled for roughly 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

For an excellent review of what happens next as Republicans continue their parliamentary obstruction, see Daily Kos: This Week in Congress – Seriously, though, read this one. Short version:

1. 1 a.m. Monday vote on cloture on the manager's amendment

2. 7 a.m. Tuesday vote on the manager's amendment itself

3. 7 a.m.-ish Tuesday vote on cloture on the substitute amendment (motion to commit)

4. 1 p.m. Wednesday vote on the substitute amendment itself

5. 1 p.m.-ish Wednesday vote on cloture on the bill

6. 7 p.m. Thursday vote on passage of the bill

Hopefully Santa has loaded his sleigh with coal for all the obstructionists who put corporate profits (and campaign contributions) ahead of the lives of their fellow citizens. Maybe Santa's reindeer will drop a load in their stockings, too. Merry Christmas!