Let the Debate Begin!

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid managed to hold together all the Senate Democrats and two independents to gain the 60 votes needed to begin debate on the Senate health care reform bill. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Nebraska were the final Democrats to confirm their votes. Landrieu said, "It is clear to me that doing nothing is not an option," and Lincoln said, “I’m thinking about the 450,000 Arkansans who have no health insurance.” Both senators indicated that their vote to open the debate did not imply a vote for debate cloture or for the bill itself.

The Senate will now break for Thanksgiving. The next critical vote will be the 60 needed to cut off debate from an expected Republican filibuster. You can read the AP coverage here. New York Times coverage of Sen. Lincoln's vote is here.