Washington ( CNN ) -- Health care reform moved a major step closer to reality Monday when the Senate voted before dawn to overcome a Republican filibuster against a sweeping $ 871 billion health care bill . The procedural vote virtually ensures the bill 's final approval by the chamber later this week . It would then be merged with the $ 1 trillion House version in what would be tough negotiations on President Obama 's top domestic priority for 2009 . A final bill requiring approval from both chambers would not be completed until after Congress returns in January from its holiday break . Obama hailed the Senate 's overnight vote as an important victory for the American people . `` By standing up to the special interests who prevented reform for decades and who are furiously lobbying against it now , the Senate has moved us closer to reform that makes a tremendous difference for families , for seniors , for businesses , and for the country as a whole , '' Obama told reporters at the White House . iReport.com : Give your thoughts on the Senate health care bill . The influential American Medical Association , a traditional opponent of health care reform , announced Monday it supports the Senate bill . AMA President-elect Dr. Cecil Wilson joined Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Democrats to call for changes that Reid said would help provide health care for `` all people , not just those who can afford it . '' The 60-40 party line vote -- cast shortly after 1 a.m. -- kept Senate Democrats on track to pass the bill on Christmas Eve . They needed every vote in their 60-member caucus for the supermajority in the 100-member chamber needed to overcome the filibuster , and some senators extracted beneficial provisions for their states before agreeing to support the bill . Republicans have mounted a fierce campaign against the bill , using procedural tricks to slow debate and casting the measure as an unnecessary government intrusion into health care that will raise costs . Obama rejected Republican claims that the bill would add to the federal deficit , noting the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported the Senate plan would reduce the deficit by $ 132 billion over the first 10 years . If a combined House-Senate health care bill eventually wins final approval from Congress and is signed by Obama , it would be the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid over four decades ago . Republicans ripped the Democratic majority for passing the measure in the middle of the night and accused Democrats of ramming the bill through despite growing public opposition . `` Make no mistake : If the people who wrote this bill were proud of it , they would n't be forcing this vote in the dead of night , '' argued Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky . `` Mark my words : this legislation will reshape our nation , '' he said . `` And Americans have already issued their verdict . They do n't want it . They do n't like this bill , and they do n't like lawmakers playing games with their health care to secure the votes they need to pass it . '' Read Dr. Sanjay Gupta 's take on the health care bill . The unusual timing of the vote was a consequence of Senate rules , the determination of Democrats to pass the bill before adjourning for the holidays , and the GOP 's willingness to use every possible legislative tactic to slow the bill 's progress . Two more procedural votes this week also will require Democrats to win the backing of 60 members to break a GOP filibuster . Final passage of the measure , by contrast , will require a simple majority of 51 votes . To Democrats , Monday 's vote signaled eventual victory on the Senate bill . `` The die is cast . It 's done , '' New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer proclaimed . But compromises made to win the backing of moderate Democrats , such as Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut , enraged many liberal Democrats and threatened to undermine support for the bill . Liberal Democrats are particularly upset with Reid 's decision to abandon a government-run public health insurance option and an expansion of Medicare to Americans as young as age 55 -- ideas strongly opposed by Lieberman and other centrists . Top Democrats , however , argue that the Senate bill as currently written would still constitute a positive change of historic proportions . The legislation , according to the Congressional Budget Office , would extend health insurance to more than 30 million Americans currently lacking coverage while reducing the federal deficit . CNN 's Ted Barrett , Dana Bash and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .
Obama praises health care step , dismisses opponents ' argument . Key vote on health bill early Monday splits along party lines . Comment: The U.S. House has already passed its version of the health care bill .