Saturday night, and another momentous day on Capitol Hill as the United States Senate voted down party lines to keep the debate on healthcare reform alive, clearing a major procedural vote. The vote was 60-39. All Democrats and Independents voted yes, all Republicans voted no--including Alabama Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions.

"Tonight's vote is a dangerous step toward government run health care," said Shelby. "The goal of rational health care reform should be to decrease costs and improve access. This bill does exactly the opposite. This highly partisan, trillion dollar bill raises taxes, cuts Medicare, increases premiums, and rations care. This isn't reform. It's simply bad medicine."

In a released statement of his own, Senator Sessions voiced his displeasure about the procedural vote. "Democrats' claims of fiscal prudence are a sham," said Sessions. Any legislation can technically qualify as deficit neutral if taxes are raised high enough to offset the spending. This is exactly what Democrats have done, calling for half a trillion in new taxes ranging from penalties on small businesses, fees for medical devices, and taxes on individuals who--in the government's opinion--have too little or too much insurance.

Actual debate on the bill will begin after Congress' weeklong Thanksgiving break. Over the next month, there will be amendments to the bill, debates about amendments, debates about the debate, amendments to the amendments and debates about the amended amendments.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was able to band-aid together the necessary votes to beat down the cloture vote (an attempt to block the debate from going forward) able to persuade dissident Democrats and Independents to at least vote in the affirmative tonight.

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman---all Democrats---have their grievances with the current bill but voted with their party to keep the debate alive.

The bill would spend $848 billion over 10 years to extend insurance coverage to 31 million more people while cutting the federal budget deficit by $127 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. In addition, the measure would cut Medicare spending by more than $400 billion, raise more than $370 billion in taxes and enact sweeping health insurance regulations.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued this statement on the Senate's vote:

"The President is gratified that the Senate has acted to begin consideration of health insurance reform legislation. Tonight's historic vote brings us one step closer to ending insurance company abuses, reining in spiraling health care costs, providing stability and security to those with health insurance, and extending quality health coverage to those who lack it. The President looks forward to a thorough and productive debate."