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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act succeeded in a significant first challenge Saturday by obtaining the necessary majority in a vote to invoke cloture. The cloture vote allows the bill, H.R. 3590, to come to the floor for full Senate debate without filibuster. Filibusters are often used to delay or even entirely prevent a vote on legislation.

After Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) announced that they would vote yes on the cloture motion, there were finally the 60 votes needed to move forward on the bill. The vote beginning just before 8 p.m. Saturday evening tallied at 60 "yeas" and 39 "nays," with all Democrats and Independents voting in favor, and all Republicans voting against. Since it has now passed this important step, floor debate on the bill should begin after the Thanksgiving holiday recess.

As reported previously by DOTmed News (See, DM 10794) the Act features prohibition on private health insurance companies denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions, a mandate for citizens to obtain coverage or face penalties, creation of insurance exchanges, expansion of Medicaid and a government-run public insurance option for which states may opt-out via legislation. The bill also features funding for reform via an increased Medicare payroll tax for high-income taxpayers, a new five percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery procedures, and an imposition of an annual fee on medical device manufacturers and importers and health insurance providers. The Congressional Budget Office has just estimated that the Act would result in a net reduction in federal deficits of $130 billion over the 2010-2019 period.

This is a victory for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), Senate Banking Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Senate HELP Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), all of whom have lobbied hard for Democratic Senate support of health care reform legislation, as well as for President Obama's goals of health care reform being addressed this year.