This vote was on passing a bill that would increase the statutory debt limit – in other words, the amount of money the country can be in debt – by $1.9 trillion, to $14.29 trillion.

Some moderate Democrats had balked at supporting raising the debt limit, but their support was secured after President Obama announced that he would use an executive order to create a new commission to recommend steps to rein in the debt over the long term.

In addition, the measure would require that new legislation not raise the deficit, enforced by an automatic across-the-board cut to programs that aren’t declared exempt – often known as “pay as you go” budgeting, shortened to “paygo.” In order to ensure that the House would support the Senate’s bill, the Senate had to add paygo language, which Republicans opposed as ineffective.

Among the programs the bill exempts from paygo are a permanent extension of the middle-class tax cuts from 2001 and 2003, and a provision to prevent a cut that is scheduled to occur to Medicare doctor reimbursement rates.

By a vote of 60-39, the Senate passed the bill. Every Democrat present voted for the bill. Every Republican present voted against the bill. The end result is that the Senate passed a bill that would require most new mandatory spending not to raise the deficit, and to increase the amount of money the United States can be in debt to $14.29 trillion.