Breaking News: Senate Democrats pass health care reform fix-it bill

Less than a week after House Democrats passed new health care legislation, Senate Democrats voted, 56-43, in favor of passing a fix-it bill that Republicans had previously hoped to hold up through a number of parliamentary obstructions. 

Before voting Senators honored the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who made health care reform his life goal before passing away last year from brain cancer, during a moment of silence before voting. Sticking to their platform as the party of "no", all 41 Republican Senators voted against the bill, including three Democrats: Arkansas Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, and Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson.

Democrats had hoped to send the bill to President Obama's desk after voting, but Republicans were able to find two small provisions - dealing with student loans - that violated congressional budget rules and had to be eliminated from legislation. As a result, the bill will have to be sent back to the House because both branches have to pass identical legislation. House Democrats don't expect any problems passing the bill and intend to do so by this evening.

While the Republicans tried a bunch of parliamentary tricks to stall the bill, it did not take Democrats long to push the bill through and make health care reform the law of the land. President Obama is now one vote, and one signing away from having passed his first piece of major legislation and one of the most important pieces of legislation since Medicare was passed in 1965.