The moment the US Senate passed its healthcare reform bill, by a vote of 60-39. Photograph: C-Span/AP

Democrats in the Senate have finally passed historic healthcare reform "“ the most significant piece of progressive legislation in generations. It's deeply flawed, but for all the compelling arguments against it, the bill's success is far better for America than failure would have been.

This legislation is the single biggest expansion of America's social safety net since Medicare was passed in 1965. It will insure 94% of legal US residents by 2019 and significantly reduce the federal deficit, according to the Congressional Budget Office's estimates [PDF]. It accomplishes this through a combination of federal subsidies, mandates to bring people...