Votes are in: 56-43. Looks like there wasn't a vote on the PO after all even though it is going back to the house. The gop succeeded in making last minute changes to the bill via point of orders today so it has to go back (and likely it will be passed by house tonight).
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/
The bill must now go back to the House for a final vote.
Democratic senators Blanche Lincoln (AR), Ben Nelson (NE) and Mark Pryor (AR) all voted no. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) did not vote.
The bill is going back to the house, and will probably pass tonight.
AP
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats muscled legislation through the Senate on Thursday reshaping parts of the new health care overhaul law, sending it back to the House for what is expected to be final congressional approval.
With Vice President Joe Biden presiding in case his vote was needed to break a tie, the Senate approved the measure by 56-43. Underscoring the partisan divide that has characterized the long-running health care fight, all voting Republicans opposed the measure, as did three Democrats: Arkansas Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, and Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson.
In a dramatic nod to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who had spent a career championing health care for all Americans, the Senate observed a moment of silence in his honor before voting.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., asked senators to cast their votes from their desks, a seldom-used procedure the chamber employs only for the most significant measures. Democrats did so in a bow to the initiative's importance to their party, but some Republicans did not.
Eager to get the contentious battle behind them, Democrats originally hoped the Senate's vote would ship the measure to President Barack Obama for his signature. But working with the chamber's parliamentarian, Republicans found two minor provisions in the bill - dealing with future Pell grants for low-income students - that violated congressional budget rules and were deleted from the legislation.
As a result, the bill had to be returned to the House because both chambers must approve identical legislation before it can be sent to the White House. Top House Democrats said they expected to do just that by evening.
I will add as more info becomes available. Its good that this fix has passed, the senate bill alone was intolerable and even with this fix needs to be improved on later. I very much like & prefer the student loan portion of it, it just shows good policies need to fly under radar to pass.
Adios Reconciliation