After three days of debate and several fruitless votes on amendments, the Senate Republicans were unable to obtain enough support to pass their so-called “skinny” repeal of the Affordable Care Act. [More]
healthcare
Obamacare Repeal Effort Falls Flat As GOP Can’t Muster Votes In Senate
By 7.27.17 — Updated: 7.28.17
Is Obamacare “Skinny Repeal” Actually The Senate’s Plan, Or A Way To Bring Back The House Version Instead?
By 7.27.17 — Updated: 7.28.17
UPDATE: We now know exactly what was in the “skinny” repeal bill, but any theorizing about lawmakers’ ulterior motives or hidden agendas is now moot, after Senate Republicans failed to get majority support for the legislation. [More]
GOP Proposes, Then Immediately Rejects Plan For Single-Payer Health Insurance
By 7.27.17
Since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly decried it as “socialized” or “government-run” healthcare while calling for its repeal. But it was a GOP senator who today introduced legislation that, if passed, would have provided single-payer, government-run Medicare for everyone. [More]
First Attempt At Repeal-Only Of Obamacare Falls Short In Senate
By 7.26.17
After falling far short of the votes needed to move forward with its sweeping measure to repeal and replace large parts of the Affordable Care Act, the Senate took another vote this afternoon, this time on a bill that simply repeals key aspects of the ACA without including any replacement. [More]
Senate Votes Down Controversial Repeal, Replace Plan For Obamacare; More Proposals To Come
By 7.25.17 — Updated: 7.26.17
Hours after the Senate needed Vice President Mike Pence to break a 50-50 tie to move forward with debate on healthcare, the GOP’s controversial repeal-and-replace plan has come up several votes short of being accepted. Yet this is far from the end for this matter. [More]
Additional Parts Of Obamacare Repeal Bill Break Senate Rules, Says Parliamentarian
By 7.25.17
The Senate Parliamentarian — the nonpartisan official who advises the upper chamber on the rules regarding legislative matters — has added to her previous list of concerns about the Republican bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, raising new concerns about the GOP’s ability to pass the legislation in its current state. [More]
Senate Votes To Move Forward With Debate On Obamacare Repeal Bill; What Happens Now?
By 7.25.17
The Senate narrowly voted today to move forward with its still-vague plan to repeal and possibly replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The vote itself was a nail-biter — but the high drama is only just beginning, as the Senate now has to hammer out the details of what, exactly, it is proposing to replace the ACA with. [More]
Report: Senate Obamacare Replacement Vote This Afternoon May Be On “Skinny Repeal” Bill
By 7.25.17
The Senate is scheduled to start a procedure around 2:15 p.m. (Eastern time) today that could drastically change health care law in this country — but nobody, including Senators, seems to know exactly what the vote is on. In the last remaining hours before the votes are cast, here’s what we do know. [More]
[Update] Okay, NOW What The Heck Is Going On With Senate Obamacare Replacement Bill?
By 7.24.17 — Updated: 7.25.17
Healthcare is the shambling zombie bill that simply will not stay dead. First the Senate was going to have a vote on a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act; then it wasn’t. Then the Senate was considering a new proposal; then it wasn’t. Now, there is a vote on a bill tentatively planned for tomorrow, July 25 — but if it seems like nobody actually knows what’s in it, or who supports it, or what’s going on, well, that’s because basically nobody does.
So here’s what we do know. [More]
Update: Senate Plan To Vote On Repeal-Only For Obamacare Is Also Dead
By 7.18.17
In the weirdness that is the state of American politics in 2017, Congress is developing a flair for late night high drama. Last night, enough Senators spoke out against the Senate’s plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care act that the bill was determined dead — but Republicans in Congress aren’t exactly giving up yet. [More]
Two GOP Senators Come Out Against Obamacare Repeal, Possibly Dooming Bill
By 7.17.17
UPDATE: Two Republican senators have added their names to the list of GOP lawmakers opposing the latest version of the bill to repeal and replace much of the Affordable Care Act. That means the bill will fall short of the 50 votes needed to pass. [More]
Pretty Much Everyone Hates New Senate Obamacare Replacement Bill
By 7.14.17
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell yesterday unveiled a new draft of the Senate’s plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The bill contains steep cuts to Medicaid and an amendment that would pretty much gut the ability of anyone with a pre-existing condition to afford a policy on the individual market. So who’s opposed? Pretty much everyone, it seems — except the 50 people whose opinions matter most. [More]
What’s Changed In The New Senate Obamacare Replacement Bill, And What Happens Next?
By 7.13.17
After much ado and weeks of waiting, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today unveiled an updated draft of the Senate’s plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). [More]
Budget Office: Long-Term Medicaid Spending Would Drop 35% Under Obamacare Repeal Plan
By 6.29.17
As we mentioned in our coverage of the Congressional Budget Office’s review of the Senate proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the ten-year focus of the CBO analysis could not fully illustrate the impact of Medicaid cuts that wouldn’t come until the latter half of that decade. Today, the CBO released a separate report that estimates what effect those cuts might have ten to twenty years from now. [More]
GOP Might Not Include $172 Billion Tax Cut In Obamacare Repeal Plan
By 6.29.17
Though Senate leadership recently decided to delay a vote on its plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the GOP is still hoping to get the details of that bill ironed out before the holiday. One possible change involves a controversial tax on the wealthy that has long been a target of repeal advocates. [More]
Senate Delays Vote On Obamacare Repeal Bill Until After July 4 Recess
By 6.27.17
Multiple reports are claiming that Senate Republican leadership has decided to delay the vote on a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care, following a Congressional Budget Office review estimating that 22 million additional Americans will be without healthcare if the bill passes as it is. [More]
Senate Obamacare Repeal Plan Would Leave 22 Million Without Insurance
By 6.26.17
In news that will likely change the way some lawmakers view the Senate’s proposal to gut and replace much of the Affordable Care Act, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this latest effort would ultimately leave 22 million Americans without insurance on top of those who would be uninsured under the current law, while trimming $321 billion from the federal deficit over ten years. [More]
GOP Revises Obamacare Repeal Bill, Adds 6-Month Penalty For People With Lapsed Coverage
By 6.26.17
One of the Republican party’s biggest complaints about the Affordable Care Act is that it requires most individuals to have some sort of health insurance or pay a penalty. The draft Senate bill released last week gets rid of that financial penalty, but a newly released revised version of that bill replaces it with a waiting period of up to six months for people who are uninsured or let their coverage lapse. [More]
