Obama devoted his weekend radio and Internet address to the issue he campaigned on in 2008.

“Now – for the first time – there is a clear majority in the Senate that’s willing to stand up to the insurance lobby and embrace lasting health insurance reforms that have eluded us for generations,” Obama said. “Let’s bring this long and vigorous debate to an end.”

“As this difficult year comes to a close, let’s show the American people that we are equal to the task of meeting our great challenges,” he said.

In the Republican response, Sen. John McCain warned that rushing through legislation now would do more harm than good.

“The best thing government could do to ensure more Americans have access to health care insurance is to institute reforms that would rein in costs and make health care more affordable,” said McCain, R-Ariz. “Regrettably, there’s nothing in this legislation that effectively addresses the problem.”