The U.S. Senate is nearing a debate on health

Mary Landrieu, voted in Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln, elected in Arkansas, have put an end to several days of uncertainty by announcing they would vote the procedural motion that should allow a debate on the draft Act in Parliament.

The vote, scheduled Saturday night (Sunday 0100 GMT), is the first obstacle that supporters of reform must take. A check would be a serious setback and a setback size policy for Barack Obama.

But with the announcement of the two senators, Democrats, who control just 60 of the 100 Senate seats are now insured, but improbable turnaround, to full voice.

But this threshold of 60 votes is needed to remove the obstruction procedures Republicans, united in their opposition to the project. The defection of a single elected Democrat could bring a halt to the flagship reform of the Chief White House.

The U.S. president has made this site its priority in terms of domestic politics. He wants to extend health coverage to the widest possible part of the 46 million who are currently excluded and to put an end to certain practices of insurance companies, such as refusal to provide certain risk groups of population.

These days, the attitude of three Senate Democrats held all the attention on the Capitol, seat of the Congress of the United States.

But Ben Nelson of Nebraska elected often considered the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, ended the suspense by announcing on Friday that he would vote in favor of opening a debate.

Mary Landrieu and Blanche Lincoln, both elected in conservative southern states where reform is unpopular, have imitated Saturday. However, they stressed that their allegiance to this point of order does not mean they endorse the proposed reform.

"Even if I do not agree with all elements of this bill, I concluded it was more important that we engage the debate to improve our system of care rather than simply abandon the matter and to ignore, "said Lincoln.

DEBATE AFTER THANKSGIVING

If the Senate decides by voting on Saturday, as is now most likely, the debate should begin November 30, after the Thanksgiving holiday, and last at least three weeks, making it unlikely that the text signed by Barack Obama by the end of the year, as had been hoped the U.S. President.

If adopted the plan by the Senate, it will still melt the reform project with the one already approved by the House of Representatives on November 7.

Republicans denounced an expensive project and deny that the federal government encroaching on health insurance managed by the private sector.

The plan unveiled by the Senate would provide health coverage to 31 million Americans who do not currently have, as an employee of the Congress.

On an annual cost of 2.500 billion dollars, the health system represents 16% of the GDP of the United States, a unique weight in the OECD countries to unsatisfactory results: in one ranking in 2000 Organization World Health Organization, the United States arriving at the 37th.