SAN FRANCISCO -- The debate over health care took on a quiet tone Thursday night in San Francisco as dozens of protesters held a candlelight vigil and march.

The marchers support universal health care and wanted to show how the country is suffering without it.

Religious leaders from various faiths joined the group to remember what they said were the over 45,000 Americans who died this year because they did not have health insurance.

"I think it's incredibly disturbing this is the level of discourse in the United States of America around what should be. We should have had health care for all 50 years ago," said San Francisco resident Margaret Baran.

"I think it's a national tragedy," agreed Karl Keener of the group Organizing For America. "It's a national cross we should all bear. It's unbelievable."

The Senate is currently taking a break from its heated debate of the proposed health care bill.

On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would endorse the Senate's tentative deal to expand Medicare to people in their 50s as part of an alternative to the public option.

But Pelosi said what she really wants is the public option, which would provide health care for Americans of all ages.

Republicans said Democrats taking a break to focus on some spending measures in the Senate is a sign of disarray in the party. Democrats have acknowledged they don't have all the votes lined up that they need to get a health care reform bill to the Senate floor.