In a tally that foreshadows significant challenges ahead for healthcare reform, the Senate mustered 60 votes to avert a filibuster of letting the debate begin. The accompanying warnings from Sens. Lincoln, Lieberman and Nelson that they'd join a filibuster of any bill with a public option will necessarily make that the focal point of negotiation and commentary, but as I've noted before, affordability standards are a matter of no small consequence to people of faith.

On this issue, the Senate bill falls shy of the House bill's provisions for low-income families, and in two of the bottom three income brackets provides lower subsidies than even the Senate Finance Committee's bill. Amidst more high profile issues, let's hope the Senate keeps in mind the very basic principle that if we're going to require people to buy insurance, we must make sure that they can afford it.