Senate Votes Down Broad Obamacare Repeal
By Thomas Kaplan and Robert Pear. The Senate voted narrowly on Tuesday to begin debate on a bill to repeal major provisions of the Affordable Care Act, but hours later, Republican leaders suffered a setback when their most comprehensive plan to replace President Barack Obama’s health law fell far short of the votes it needed.
The Tuesday night tally needed to reach 60 votes to overcome a parliamentary objection. Instead, it fell 43-57. The fact that the comprehensive replacement plan came up well short of even 50 votes was an ominous sign for Republican leaders still grappling with a formula to pass final health care legislation this week.
For Republicans, the failure ended the day on a sour note, hours after a more triumphant scene in the well of the Senate. Lawmakers from both parties had risen to their feet in the afternoon and applauded when Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, showed up in the chamber despite his diagnosis of brain cancer. He cast a crucial vote in favor of opening what promises to be a freewheeling, hard-fought debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act. (Read more from “Senate Votes Down Broad Obamacare Repeal” HERE)
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Trump Celebrates ObamaCare Vote, but Avoids Criticizing Jeff Sessions at Ohio Rally
By Alex Pappas. President Trump celebrated the Senate’s procedural vote earlier in the day on repealing ObamaCare but avoided discussing his frustration with Attorney General Jeff Sessions during a rally in Ohio on Tuesday night.
Though it still remains unclear whether the Senate will ultimately have the votes to pass health care legislation, Trump portrayed Tuesday’s vote as an important step.
The Senate voted 51-50 on Tuesday to start debate on legislation repealing former President Obama’s health care law.
“Only a few hours ago, the Senate approved a vote to begin debating the repealing and replacing the ObamaCare disaster,” Trump said at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown. “Finally. You think that’s easy? That’s not easy.”
He added, “We’re now one step closer to liberating citizens from this ObamaCare nightmare and delivering great health care for the American people.” (Read more from “Trump Celebrates ObamaCare Vote, but Avoids Criticizing Jeff Sessions at Ohio Rally” HERE)
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