Bill Clark/ZUMA
A day after failing to pass legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare, Senate Republicans on Wednesday turned down a bill to repeal much of the Affordable Care Act without any replacement.The measure was rejected 45-55, with seven Republicans voting against the proposal. The defeat marks the latest hurdle facing Republican leadership as they ram through the legislative process in order to deliver on the party’s long-held pledge to dismantle Obamacare.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill would have left 32 million more people uninsured than under current law by 2026. The bill largely mirrors a 2015 effort to repeal Obamacare and delay the measure from taking effect for two years while lawmakers worked on crafting a replacement plan. Former President Barack Obama ultimately vetoed that legislation.
The Senate isn’t done yet, though. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to push a proposal referred to as “skinny repeal,” which reportedly calls for an end to some of Obamacare’s most important provisions, including the individual and employer mandates. The CBO predicts that roughly 15 million additional people would be end up without insurance under that plan.
