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On Tuesday, July 18, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that the Senate would vote on repeal-only legislation to halt the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. This decision follows announcements by several Senators that they would not vote to support proposed legislation to repeal and also replace the Affordable Care Act, threatening its passage.
Due to the procedures of the Senate and with all Democrats opposing the legislation, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, could only lose three Republican senators and still advance. Over the last week, four Senators announced their opposition, meaning changes would be required for passage. This comes after several weeks of delays by Senate leadership as they attempted to address concerns from Senators on the legislation.
As an alternative, Senator McConnell has announced a vote simply to repeal the Affordable Care Act without replacing it. However, even this proposal has already faced opposition, with several Senators announcing they would oppose the bill. Additionally, the House Budget Committee is considering a new budget resolution which will set forth new budget reconciliation instructions, including instructions promoting health care reform, a signal that this legislative effort is not yet concluded.
ASA leaders and staff will continue to monitor legislative developments on health care reform.
