Senate, Health Care Reform | featured news

Congressional Republicans on Wednesday plan to mount a last-ditch challenge to the health care bill moving through the Senate, arguing that a key provision is unconstitutional.

A broad healthcare overhaul passed its first crucial test in the U.S. Senate on Monday, with 60 Democrats voting to put President Barack Obama's top legislative priority on a path to passage by Christmas.

With a critical vote looming this weekend, Senate Democrats finalized a deal this morning with the lone Democratic holdout, Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, who will back the party's healthcare bill after settling weeks of negotiating over abortion.

Senator Ben Nelson said that he and Democratic leaders had made “real progress” in negotiations on abortion, but there was no final agreement.

As Senate Democrats struggle to line up 60 votes and pass their health care bill before Christmas, an attempt to debate a single-payer system fails.

Obama urges Senate Dem to pass bill; Lieberman signals support if buy-in plan is dropped.

44 | President calls Senate plan "a creative new framework" to provide coverage to uninsured without relying on government insurance option.

President Barack Obama on Sunday urged Senate Democrats to work out their differences on healthcare reform and pass what will be the most significant social legislation in decades.

Riven by partisanship, the Senate plunged into a debate Monday over sweeping health care legislation that President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats have vowed to approve and Republicans have sworn to block.

Two centrist senators, Ben Nelson and Joseph I. Lieberman, said that they were opposed the bill as it is currently written, particularly its inclusion of a new government-run insurance program.