Tonight, after three days of debate on a series of amendments to the bill, the Senate passed the bipartisan Children's Health Insurance Program.

When President Obama signs this bill into law, it will mark day one of changing America's broken health care system. Day one of working together, across the aisle, to implement changes that will have long-lasting effects on the health and well-being of our nation. Day one of shifting focus toward solving the health care crisis--once and for all.

This program will ensure that millions of children, many of whose parents have lost their employer-provided health care coverage through layoffs and cutbacks, will be able to receive doctor check-ups, dentist visits, and preventive care.

But it's also an important day for all of us who've joined together in support of fixing health care. It's evident today that we're building a real, grassroots movement. SEIU's online activists alone banked more than 1,000 calls to Congress in support of the reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program. We called 87 senators - many of them multiple times. Reports even came back from our callers that receptionists seemed "flustered," and "puzzled" by the number of calls they were receiving.

We also learned a lot about what to expect as we continue our movement. Activists like Rose in Indiana discovered that senate offices who opposed us were reluctant to be forthcoming about it on the phone. Rather than discuss the issue directly, they claimed to have no knowledge of the bill.

That didn't stop us, though; and we sent a signal loud and clear: we're paying attention, and we expect results.

We don't have time to waste. It's clear that if we don't find solutions to our ailing health care system, the financial burden placed on Americans will continue to grow.

You can tell President Obama that children's health is just the first step in our movement to fix health care - click here to send him a letter.

Just as we didn't let our setbacks stop us from improving access to health care for kids, we can't let our early victories stop us from winning health care for everyone. Senator Olympia Snowe called this bill "a critical first step towards greater health reform." More than ever, we're ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work - and we expect Congress to do the same.