US Senate Votes to Move Forward on Health Reform

The US Senate tonight voted to allow debate on the Healthcare Reform bill to proceed. This vote, known as Invoking Cloture, takes 60 votes to pass -- which ends debate. The debate that ended was the debate on WHETHER to allow the healthcare bill to come to the floor for consideration. IT WAS NOT A VOTE ON PASSING THE BILL.

By Invoking Cloture -- the Senate voted to cut off a Fillibuster -- which is endless debate, and is used as a tactic to keep some legislation from every being voted upon.

Now, the Senate will take the bill up in debate on the floor after Thanksgiving break.

But there remains MAJOR oppostion to the bill -- even among Democratic Senators --- and the chances of the bill passing the Senate remains very questionable.