The long and bitter debate over health care reform is about to undergo a crucial test in the US Senate. The Democratic Party's 850-billion-dollar bill faces its first key procedural hurdle on Saturday night.

The Democrats must get 60 votes to proceed in the 100-member US Senate. Even this would only enable the party to get the more than two-thousand-page bill debated on the chamber's floor.

The Democratic Party controls exactly 60 seats. It's still not clear whether it has the necessary votes.

Dick Durbin, Illonois Senator, said, "We are not assuming a thing. We are working hard to bring all Democrats together for the 60 votes necessary to proceed to this historic debate."

But Republicans are doing their own lobbying. They are trying to convince just one of the handful of wavering Democrats to break away from their party's leadership.

Jon Kyl, Arizona Senator, said, "It would be our hope that our more moderate colleagues on the Democratic side would respect the wishes of their constituents."