President Obama has officially endorsed calls for approving healthcare reform legislation through the legislative process known as budget reconciliation. This would enable Senate Democrats to pass a healthcare bill with fifty-one votes, rather than the sixty votes they would need to overcome a Republican filibuster. On Wednesday, Obama rejected Republican calls for starting over on healthcare reform.

President Obama: “But given these honest and substantial differences between the parties about the need to regulate the insurance industry and the need to help millions of middle-class families get insurance, I don’t see how another year of negotiations would help. Moreover, the insurance companies aren’t starting over. They’re continuing to raise premiums and deny coverage as we speak. For us to start over now could simply lead to delay that could last for another decade, or even more.”

Obama’s announcement sets the stage for a vote in the coming weeks. Although they won’t be able to filibuster, Republicans are expected to mount a major challenge to the bill by offering scores of amendments and challenging provisions over their effect on the federal budget.