It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours on the Senate floor, with GOP leaders passing their first milestone to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
As reported by POLITICO, Republicans will now start to cut down Obamacare through a grueling process involving debates, amendments and a vote-a-rama.
The result will likely be a “skinny” bill, and it’s anyone’s guess whether that will have enough votes to pass through the Senate. Republicans may move forward with a “skinny” plan, if only to keep momentum with the repeal, and allow a negotiation with the House.
After years of trying to squash the ACA, the GOP is now hoping to break what some call a standstill in policy changes under a Trump Administration. Even Sen. John McCain (R-A.Z.), who made a dramatic comeback during the health care vote Tuesday after a brain cancer diagnosis, urged more bipartisanship to get things going on the Hill again.
So what does this mean for the future of health care?
Guests:
Kevin Whitelaw, Congress editor at Bloomberg; he tweets @kevinwhitelaw1
Paul Demko, health care reporter for POLITICO; he’s been following the story; he tweets at @pauldemko