On the health bill, Senate Democratic leaders finally hit number 60

The Washington Post: "Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) declared Saturday she will support a key procedural step to advance President Obama's health-care legislation." During a Senate floor speech earlier this afternoon, Landrieu said she would support the motion to begin debate on the health bill, "ending days of silence on the matter" (Kane, 11/21).

Politico: Shortly after, "Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) said she'd deliver the deciding vote to push forward with a sweeping health reform plan in the Senate Saturday, ending days of speculation over whether President Barack Obama's signature priority would proceed to the floor or suffer a debilitating blow" (Budoff Brown and Sherman, 11/21).

The Wall Street Journal: During her floor speech, Landrieu explained her decision. "I've decided that there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done," The Journal reports. "Her comments came a day after Sen. Ben Nelson (D., Neb.) also said he would vote to move forward. Saturday's vote will be the first test in the full Senate for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who unveiled his bill Wednesday night" (Hitt and Adamy, 11/21).

The Associated Press: "Landrieu says her vote is to move forward but that work still needs to be done on the bill." She and Sen. Lincoln have been the last Democratic hold outs while all 40 Senate Republicans are unanimously opposed.

"A largely overlooked provision in the Senate bill would send $100 million to Louisiana to help it cover costs for Medicaid, the federal-state health care program for the poor" (11/21).

Bloomberg: With Landrieu's announcement, "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is on the verge of victory in the first big test of whether he can keep his Democratic colleagues united behind health-care legislation. Senators plan to take a vote at 8 p.m. Washington time that would clear the way for debate on the most sweeping changes to the U.S. health system since the 1965 creation of the Medicare program for the elderly and disabled. ... With every Senate Republican opposing the legislation, Reid can't afford a single defection from his 60-member caucus to enable the chamber to take up the bill when Congress returns from a weeklong Thanksgiving recess (Litvan and Jensen, 11/21). 

Los Angeles Times: "There are 58 Democrats in the Senate and two independents who usually vote with them. But the healthcare bill has opened splits within the caucus, though Majority Leader Harry Reid worked hard, and is expected to be able, to hold his troops together at least through tonight. ... The Senate debate, which began Friday, had two goals: to convince lawmakers to back the opening of debate and to provide a forum for the opening salvos on the issues that are expected to dominate the Senate for weeks." With the Republican caucus expected to oppose cloture en bloc, GOP members are using their time today "to argue their key points: that the Democratic bill was too expensive, would hurt to economy and was funded through onerous taxes and budget gimmicks" (Levey and Muskal, 11/21).