The Democratic Caucus took something of a victory lap Wednesday night after it passed a procedural vote clearing the way for Senate passage of health reform legislation. The 60 senators confidently entered today's Christmas Eve vote anticipating approval at a 7:00 a.m. roll call.

The occasion is historic and lawmakers appeared teary-eyed in their press conference, if not weary from a long, tiring period of work.

Majority Leader Harry Reid said, "We stand on the doorstep of history, we recognize that. But much more important we stand so close to making so many individual lives better."

Senator Chris Dodd added, "This is an historic moment. The last time the Senate of the United States met on Christmas Eve was 1963 only weeks after President Kennedy's assassination and they met to debate the Vietnam War."

He noted that this is the second occasion that the Senate has met for this long on any given legislative effort, 24 days. In 1917 the Senate met for 29 days on a single bill.

Dodd dramatically compared the fight to provide broad health insurance coverage to Washington's Crossing, an against-all-odds event that turned the tide in the American Revolution on Christmas 1776.

"We happy few in many ways who have the privilege to cast our votes for health care reform tomorrow morning will never cast a more important vote in our careers. History will judge harshly those who chose the simple path of obstruction over the hard work of making change," Dodd said of detractors from the other side of the aisle.

Dodd and others honored the late Senator Ted Kennedy's contribution to making health care reform possible, as well as acknowledging the contribution of staffers.

However, significant work remains after the new year when the Senate and House bills must be reconciled before a final bill can go to the president.

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