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Breaking News: Senate Passes Historic Health Care Legislation 60-39

Christina Heller

Story Created: Dec 24, 2009 at 6:02 AM PDT

Story Updated: Dec 24, 2009 at 6:02 AM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate has passed President Barack Obama's
landmark health care overhaul extending medical insurance to 30
million Americans. The bill requires nearly all Americans to buy
insurance and forbids insurance companies from denying coverage
based on patients' pre-existing conditions.
The 60-39 vote on a cold Christmas Eve morning capped months of
arduous negotiations - and a succession of failures by past
congresses to get to this point. Vice President Joe Biden presided
as 58 Democrats and two independents voted "yes." Republicans
unanimously voted "no."
The Senate's bill must still be merged with legislation passed
by the House before Obama could sign a final bill in the new year.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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