Senate, Health Care | featured news

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.

Vice President Joe Biden told Iowa Democrats on Saturday that the Senate handed the president a big victory with its decision to move forward with debate on sweeping legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system.

LIVE BLOGGING | Debate leads up to a vote that serves as a critical test for Obama's proposal.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the Senate health care bill would cost $849 billion over 10 years, a Democratic source and an administration official said.

Senator Reid says he close to unveiling his health care bill, but acknowledges he is not certain he has 60 votes to bring up for for debate on the Senate floor.