After numerous heated debates for twenty-four days, the Senate has finally passed the health care reform bill, on a 60-39 vote. Ninety-nine senators converged early morning of December 24 inside the Chamber of the Senate to cast their votes for or against the bill. This marks the first time Senate voted on Christmas Eve since 1895.

This was a huge success for Democrats after diligently rallying to approve the legislation. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid D-Nev. spearheaded the campaign that kept all Democrats together. Fifty-one votes were needed to have a majority so the bill could be passed. With fifty-eight Democrats in the Upper House, there could have been an easy vote. However, more campaigning still had to be done because the conservative and moderate members of the party were partially against the proposed health care system. The two independent senators voted “yes” while the Republicans voted a unanimous “no”.

The new health care policy aims to require insurance coverage for all American citizens. It also bans insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

The Senate version will be squared off against the version of the House of Representatives as early as next week. The provisions for abortion will certainly be discussed as well as the controversial “public option”.

The passage of this health care bill scores a landmark for US President Barack Obama. For the last sixty years, every Democratic president had tried to amend the health care system, but only Obama was able to push it through the two houses of Congress.

The United States is the only industrialized country to not have a required health insurance for all its citizens. Once President Obama signs the final bill, Americans would be taken off that exception.