US Senate Democrats have won a key vote on a health care, paving the way for passage of a sweeping reform bill by Christmas and handing President Barack Obama an important victory on one of his top priorities, according to dpa. The Senate voted 60-40 shortly after midnight Monday to move forward with the legislation in a procedural vote that denies Republican attempts to keep the debate going in order to block a final vote, which now could take place as soon as Thursday. "The Senate has moved us closer to reform that makes a tremendous difference for families, for seniors, for businesses, and for the country as a whole," Obama said from the White House Monday, hours after the Senate vote, calling it a "big victory" for the American people. Democrats reached the mandatory 60-vote threshold with the help of two independents who usually caucus with the party. All 40 Republicans voted against it. The bill would provide a major overhaul of the health care system in the United States for the first time in decades and extend insurance to an estimated 31 million people who are currently without it. Once the Senate bill passes, it will have to be reconciled with a House of Representatives version passed in November. Obama hopes that can be done by January or February. Health care reform along with the downtrodden economy have dominated the domestic policy of Obama"s young presidency. Health care has been the focus of intense domestic debate. Getting it through the Senate has required numerous compromises with moderate Democrats under political pressure from conservatives in their home states. Monday"s vote represented the most progress for any administration in 45 years in reforming the US health care system, which consumes about 18 per cent of the gross domestic product - one of the highest percentages in the industrialized world.
