United States President Barack Obama says his healthcare legislation will not be debated in the Senate until the newly elected senator from Massachusetts has taken his seat.
Republican Scott Brown upset his Democratic opponent on Wednesday in a special election to fill the seat left vacant after Edward Kennedy's death.
In his first reaction to the Mr Brown's victory, Mr Obama said the new senator had to be part of any discussion on healthcare because the people of Massachusetts had spoken.
Mr Obama says lawmakers should seek to concentrate on the parts of the health proposals about which they agreed.
