By Bob Turner

(AXcess News) Washington - Combined with five other Committee versions of healthcare legislation, the Senate Finance Committee swung a 14 to 9 vote in favor of the plan which came as no surprise from the Democrat-controlled group of lawmakers, which Obama hailed as a victory.

President Obama admitted that there were many milestones yet to be overturned before a final version of a healthcare bill could make it to the White House to sign into law, though BO hailed the vote today a victory in saying, "Today we reached a critical milestone in our effort to reform our healthcare system."

It's more likely a battle will loom on Capital Hill as leading Democrats try to push their versions of healthcare reform legislation.

Even President Obama admitted that lawmakers were still divided, though he stopped short of naming Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) or Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) who are lobbying lawmakers on both sides of the isle for a government-run insurance program when he said, "There's still significant details and disagreements to be worked out over the next several weeks."

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), who has publicly lashed out against Republicans over the healthcare debate says he will continue to push for a government-run healthcare program to be included in the legislation.

In a Fox News interview Sen. Nelson said, "When we get to the [Senate] floor, we're going to try to get that public option."

The Senate Finance Committee's version of the bill had stripped out language for a government-run insurance program, replacing it with a system of nonprofit cooperatives, that conservative Democrats and some Republicans approved over a costly government insurance program.

As expected, Maine Republican Senator Sen. Olympia Snowe was the only member of the GOP on the Senate Panel to vote in favor of the bill.

In the weekly GOP address, Sen. George LeMieux (R-FL) said the healthcare bill "should lower costs and expand access without raising your taxes or adding billions of dollars to the deficit," a major concern for many conservative lawmakers on both sides of the isle.

Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) said, "This trillion dollar bill amounts to a government takeover of health care and will take money from Medicare to do it while leaving 25 million people uninsured."

Sen. Brownback has previously proposed tort reform and giving tax breaks to the self-employed and others who purchase their own plans.  But Democrats quickly cut Brownback's ideas early on, opting instead for government-run insurance programs that even many Democrats say will be too costly and give businesses an excuse to dump employees off at taxpayer expense, opting to pay the penalty rather than insure employees.

Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.) made closing remarks at today's meeting of the Senate Finance Committee saying, "Americans are concerned about the cost of their health care premiums, yet, according to studies, including estimates of the Congressional Budget Office, new government-forced mandates in this bill will raise premiums on American families."

Sen. Kyl stated that the Senate Committee's version of the bill will cut Medicare and choices for many Americans who cannot afford it.  "This bill leads to the rationing of health care-something all Americans, but especially seniors-have told us they're very worried about."

Kyl noted that a recent Congressional Budget Office report estimates this bill cuts Medicare spending by $449.4 billion over 10 years. Hundreds of billions of dollars will be cut from hospitals, nursing homes, home health care providers, and hospice care. Nearly $120 billion would be slashed from Medicare Advantage.

"You can't make such massive cuts without limiting seniors' care," Sen, Kyle concluded. "Seniors like the choices they now have, and they don't deserve to have them ripped away to help pay for this bill."

Democratic Senator Nelson had said, "Reid will have to be Houdini if he expects to pull enough votes to get government-run insurance back into the bill."  Perhaps it will have to be Obama who looks for enough 'magic' to get a consortium of lawmakers from both sides of the isle to agree on a final version of a health care reform bill, which will mean leaving Medicare out of reach and giving Americans tax breaks with clear choices besides a government controlled health care system without bankrupting taxpayers in the process.