Senate Begins Process of Repealing Obamacare

Amanda Casanova | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor | Updated: Jan 12, 2017

Senate Begins Process of Repealing Obamacare

The Senate approved a budget resolution this weekthat will help repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act through a process called budget reconciliation.

The resolution will now go to the House, where it could be approved by week’s end.

A budget reconciliation process cannot be filibustered, meaning it was allowed to pass in the Senate with a simple majority. Under a filibuster, it would have needed 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and Republicans only hold 52 seats in the 100-member Senate.

The vote for the budget resolution passed 51-48.

If the House approves the measure, committees from both the House and the Senate will meet to discuss what the repeal should include. Then both houses can pass the repeal legislation with a simple majority. It would then go to President Trump for signature.

The measure would cut out parts of Obamacare, but would not repeal the entire law.

There is some division among Republicans about how Obamacare will be repealed entirely and how it will be replaced.

"It will be repeal and replace. It will be, essentially simultaneously," President-elect Donald Trump said. "It will be various segments, you understand, but will most likely be on the same day or the same week — but probably the same day — could be a same hour."

But other Republicans said that replacing the Affordable Care Act needs to take longer.

"If you had a bridge that's about ready to collapse, you know, the first thing you would do is you'd start working to repair that bridge," said Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson. "You aren't going to blow it up; I mean, at least people have a bridge to use. Repair that so people can use it while you start building other bridges."

 

Photo courtesy: picserver.org

Publication date: January 12, 2017



Senate Begins Process of Repealing Obamacare