Ealry Thursday morning in the midst of a vote-a-thon, the Senate had enough votes to get the Obamacare repeal rolling. Friday, the House too passed the budget, paving the way for repeal and what the Trump administration promises to be simultaneous replace of Obamacre.Yesterday, we blogged:
The process of repealing President Obama’s signature legislation is already underway.Early Thursday morning, the Senate passed what they’re calling a “repeal resolution” or the first step in repealing the Affordable Care Act.The vote fell perfectly along party lines:
The Senate voted 51-48 along party lines for the measure, which relies on the same budget process used seven years ago to approve the landmark healthcare law to now attempt to dismantle it.“This resolution will set the stage for true legislative relief from Obamacare that Americans have long demanded while ensuring a stable transition,” Senate Budget Chairman Mike Enzi of Wyoming said, just after 1 a.m. “The Obamacare bridge is collapsing and we’re sending in a rescue team.”
Senator McConnell said, “the next step will then be the legislation to finally repeal Obamacare and move us toward smarter health policies. The repeal legislation will include a stable transition period as we work toward patient-centered health care.”
The House has the next move where votes are expected Friday.
In his weekly press briefing Thursday, Speaker Ryan spoke to the urgency of providing regulatory relief.
“Our goal though, is to deliver relief as soon as possible. Because this is not just a matter of us keeping our promise to the American people; this is a rescue mission,” said Speaker Ryan.
Unlike Obamacare’s passage, Ryan promised a methodical, thoughtful replacement plan.
Friday, the House passed the budget, making way for reconcilliation:
It’s one of the final and biggest insults Obama will endure before he turns over the White House to Donald Trump next week. It’s also a sign that Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are, haltingly, getting on the same page as they look to gut the Affordable Care Act in the first 100 days of the new administration. Still, the harder work — to actually repeal and replace the law — is still to come.The House passed the budget on a near party-line vote, 227-198. The action follows Senate passage of the budget, 51-48, which took place in the early hours of Thursday morning after a contentious seven-hour debate. Now that both chambers have passed the budget, Republicans have at their fingertips a powerful procedural tool known as reconciliation, which shields legislation from Senate filibusters and will allow them to ram through repeal with simple majorities.
Presiden-elect Trump said in a press conference Wednesday that the plan to repeal and replace Obamacare will be released simultaneously and will occur after HHS Secretary nominee Rep. Price is confirmed.
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