Washington – Senate Takes Major Step Toward Repealing Obamacare

    1

    U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) holds a sheet of insurance premium statistics during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. January 5, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst ‎Washington – The U.S. Senate on Thursday took a first concrete step toward dismantling Obamacare, voting to instruct key committees to draft legislation repealing President Barack Obama’s signature health insurance program.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    The vote was 51-48. The resolution now goes to the House of Representatives, which is expected to vote on it this week. Scrapping Obamacare is a top priority for the Republican majorities in both chambers and Republican President-elect Donald Trump.

    Republicans have said that the process of repealing Obamacare could take months, and developing a replacement plan could take longer. But they are under pressure from Trump to act fast; he said on Wednesday that the repeal and replacement should happen “essentially simultaneously.”

    Some 20 million previously uninsured Americans gained health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, as Obamacare is officially called. Coverage was extended by expanding Medicaid and through online exchanges where consumers can receive income-based subsidies.

    Republicans have launched repeated legal and legislative efforts to unravel the law, criticizing it as government overreach. They say they want to replace it by giving states, not the federal government, more control.

    But in recent days some Republicans have expressed concern about the party’s current strategy of voting for a repeal without having a consensus replacement plan ready.

    House Speaker Paul Ryan said this week he wants to pack as many replacement provisions as possible into the legislation repealing Obamacare. But Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, also a Republican, said this could be difficult under Senate rules.

    The resolution approved Thursday instructs committees of the House and Senate to draft repeal legislation by a target date of January 27. Both chambers will then need to approve the resulting legislation before any repeal goes into effect.

    Senate Republicans are using special budget procedures that allow them to repeal Obamacare by a simple majority; this way they don’t need Democratic votes. Republicans have a majority of 52 votes in the 100-seat Senate; one Republican, Senator Rand Paul, voted no on Thursday.

    Democrats mocked the Republican effort, saying Republicans have never united around an alternative to Obamacare. “They want to kill ACA but they have no idea how they are going to bring forth a substitute proposal,” declared Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

    U.S. states mull contraception coverage as Obamacare repeal looms
    Trump said Wednesday he would submit a replacement plan as soon as his nominee to lead the Health and Human Services department, Representative Tom Price, is approved by the Senate. But Trump gave no details.

    Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010 over united Republican opposition. Democrats say the act is insuring more Americans and helping to slow the growth in healthcare spending.

    But Republicans say the system is not working. The average Obamacare premium is set to rise 25 percent in 2017.


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    1 Comment
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    7 years ago

    Please repeal this disastrous plan ASAP. Do it when you have momentum or it will never get done in washington. 175 million americans currently are paying more to insure 20 million. Its a disaster.

    Please get rid of the costly pre existing conditions. It should not be the right of consumers. Insurance is about mitigating risk. Buy when healthy for sick days. Be responsible.

    And get rid of mental health requirements which are costly but not essential.

    Do not replace it with unversial health. The USA has the finest, most innovative heath system second to none. Don’t mess with it. And please don’t post fake news or I like to call it hyper news how everyone is all of a sudden flying to New Zealand for cancer treatment. You know its not true.