U.S. President Barack Obama has called the Senate health committee’s decision to approve a healthcare reform bill “a major milestone” and has urged Congress to pass a bill by the beginning of August, when Congress goes on recess.

Obama has been pushing for a healthcare bill that will expand coverage to all Americans yet that push has been met with resistance by several Republicans who have pointed to the cost involved in such a measure. Despite his detractors, Obama has continued to lobby for reform and has consistently called healthcare a necessity that had to be achieved.

Wednesday’s vote reflected the divisive nature of the healthcare reforms as the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 13-10 to pass a to pass a $600-billion version of the bill with all ten detractors being Republican.

Under the HELP proposal healthcare would be expanded to all Americans by requiring individuals to be insured and providing assistance to those unable to pay for their coverage. The approval was the first passed by a congressional committee with several other committees working on their own version of a healthcare reform bill.

Obama the various bills will be debated and a combined bill will reach Congress with both House and Senate voting on the unified bill.

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