Orange County Register

Majority Leader Harry Reid (R) hugs Sen. Chris Dodd. Sen. Tom Harkin looks on.

With just the 60 votes they needed, the Democrats got the okay today to begin debating an $848 billion health care reform bill that if passed would move Congress one step closer to fulfilling one of President Barack Obama centerpiece campaign promises.

The vote was 60-39. 

Just got an email from Sen. Dianne Feinstein. California’s senior senator said  tonight’s party-line vote showed the stark differences between the two parties. “This was effectively a filibuster,’’ she said. 

“ Now, how do you filibuster and try to prevent debate on what is one of the most important issues to the American family? Families deal with this every day, can’t we deal with it, debate it, have amendments, vote them up or down, and at the end hopefully have a bill that will then go to conference, work out differences, then come back? But to say no, we’re going to turn our backs and we don’t even want to discuss it — that, to me, was very stark up here tonight.”

UPDATES: See statements from Sen. Barbara Boxer and White House  below.

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Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., will vote yes health bill debate.

Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu just announced she’s going to vote later today to allow Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill to move to a formal debate.

That means the Democrats now need just one more lawmakers—Arkansas Democrat Blanche Lincoln to vote yes that the historic debate will begin.

“My vote today to move forward on this important debate should in no way be construed by the supporters of this current framework as an indication as how I might vote as this debate comes to an end,’’ said Landrieu, who is facing a tough re-election campaign. She said her vote was a decision “to move forward and continue the good and essential and important and imperative work that is underway.’’

Today’s vote to allow Reid’s $848 billion bill to come to the floor could make or break a signature issue for the Democrats and President Barack Obama. Not one Republican is expected to allow debate to start.

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Sen. Barbara Boxer

On the eve of what will be the most important vote ever on health care reform Sen. Barbara Boxer spent 30 minutes making the Democrats’ case for beginning debate on a far-reaching $848 billion bill.

“What we have before us,’’ said Boxer, D-Calif., is an excellent piece of legislation that will make life better for every single American…

“This is our time. This is our moment. This is the moment for us to come together as a nation,’’ Boxer said.

Throughout today and until tomorrow evening in Washington, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have and will make the case for and against this legislation. Click here to read the text of the Senate bill.

In her half-hour speech, Boxer used case studies of constituents, including Madeline Foote of Costa Mesa, who wrote her a letter asking her to work for health reform.

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Majority leader Harry Reid and Senate Democrats unveil health bill.

The long-awaited Democratic health bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid will bring to the Senate floor was unveiled tonight after the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would cost $849, within the $900 billion ceiling set by President Barack Obama.

The bill is a melding of the bills voted out by the Senate’s Finance and Health, Education Labor and Pension committees. Click here to read the full bill.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle responded as expected. Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota called it a “monstrosity.” In a statement she issued soon after the bill went on line Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., called t he release of the measure “an important moment for our country.”

More on the bill and health reform:
Senate health bill is outlined by Reid