Senate Vote Sets Stage for Health Care Debate After Thanksgiving

On Saturday, the U.S. Senate voted 60-39 to begin debate on health care reform legislation after the Thanksgiving holiday break. The vote came only a few days after an Associated Press poll found that a majority of Americans favor a public insurance plan.

While Saturday's vote is a huge step forward for reform, it is only the beginning. Weeks of debate lie ahead in the Senate, with additional procedural hurdles to surmount. However, the Senate's initial vote to open debate - and the AP poll - signal just how important this issue is for Americans and our elected representatives.

Read more about the Senate bill here. Families USA's Stand Up for Health Care Blog also offers some details on provisions that would go into effect immediately in the Senate bill.

Saturday's vote in the Senate came two weeks after the U.S. House of Representatives' historic passage of its health care reform bill on November 7. Read a summary of the House bill. It is likely that House and Senate negotiators will eventually work out a compromise plan to send to President Obama.

Both the House and Senate bills would extend quality affordable health care coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, rein in health care costs for families, businesses and government, and protect people with pre-existing medical conditions. Both bills include a public health plan but the Senate version permits states to opt out of it.