U.S. Senate approves health care reform bill

PRESIDENT Barack Obama was yesterday handed a Christmas Eve victory as the American Senate passed a $871 billion health care reform bill, his top domestic priority.

The bill, the Cable News Network (CNN) stated, was passed in a 60-39 party line vote after months of heated partisan debate: Every member of the Democratic caucus backed the measure and every Republican opposed it.

Should the bill becomes law, the measure would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago. It is expected to extend insurance coverage to 30 million additional Americans.