Senate approves broad healthcare overhaul

Reuters
Thursday, Dec 24th, 2009

The U.S. Senate approved President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul on Thursday, backing sweeping changes in the medical insurance market and new coverage for tens of millions of uninsured Americans.

On a party-line 60-39 vote, Senate Democrats supported the most dramatic shifts in health policy in four decades. The early-morning Christmas Eve vote followed months of political wrangling that consumed the U.S. Congress and put a dent in Obama’s public approval ratings.

The vote clears the way for tough negotiations in January with the House of Representatives, which approved its own version on November 7 that includes different approaches on taxes, abortion and a proposed new government-run insurance program.

Once House-Senate negotiators agree on a single bill, each chamber must approve it again before sending it to Obama to sign into law. Democrats hope to finish work before Obama’s State of the Union address in late January.

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