The U.S. Senate voted on Saturday night to move an overhaul health care reform bill forward, removing the first procedural hurdle for the bill to be passed in the chamber.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (C)(D-NV) speaks as Tom Harkin (L)(D-IA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) listen after the U.S. Senate voted to begin debate on legislation for a broad healthcare overhaul on Capitol Hill in Washington November 21, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Supported by all of the 60 Democratic and independent senators, the bill was voted to be in a full-scale debate in the Senate starting Nov. 30 after this year’s Thanksgiving holiday.

However, all Republican senators said no to the Democrats-backed bill except one who missed the voting.

Earlier reports said that the debate over the bill was expected to last as long as three weeks before the Senate can vote on the legislation.

So far, the Democratic party has gained commitment of all the 60 Democratic and independent senators to the passage of the bill without further changes.

According to the 2,074- page bill unveiled on Wednesday, the overhaul health care reform bill would expand health insurance coverage to 30 million more Americans.

Citing an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, said that the bill was estimated to cost 849 billion US dollars over 10 years but it can reduce the federal deficit by 127 billion dollars in the first decade and more than 600 billion dollars in the following decade.

Reid told reporters that public option, one of the most controversial issues about the health care reform, is included in the Senate bill, but states reserve their right to opt out after the bill is put into practice.

The bill would also cease practices including denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions, and raise Medicare payroll taxes for the wealthiest Americans to help pay for the social insurance program for the elderly.

The House of Representative approved its health care reform bill on Nov. 7 by a narrow margin of 220 to 215. But, in the Senate, the bill needs 60 out of 100 votes to be passed.

After the Senate approve its different version, two chambers would need to reach an unified bill sent to the president to sign into law.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet