Senate set to OK Republican bill unraveling health care law

The bill goes back to the House of Representatives and, if approved, will be sent to the White House where President Barack Obama is expected to veto the bill. According to USA Today, Democrats maintain that the 2010 healthcare law has benefited 17.6 million Americans gain medical coverage and has stopped insurance companies from refusing to cover patients with pre-existing conditions. The reconciliation package repeals two key mandates of the Affordable Care Act: one requiring people to have health insurance, and another requiring businesses with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance to their employees. Minority Leader Harry Reid said Republicans are “obsessed” with its repeal and need to stop “haranguing” over the issue.

In a tweet after the vote, Murray said, “My Republican colleagues have just pushed [women’s health care] aside”.

Three moderates, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), balked at it for including language defunding Planned Parenthood. Now, with Republicans in charge, the party should finally be able to put a repeal bill in front of President Obama – a long held campaign promise. Republicans lack a two-thirds House and Senate majority to override a White House veto but believe their support of the bill will help GOP candidates in next year’s presidential and congressional elections.

“To strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding is to deny millions of women and men basic health care services, many of whom are low-income and rely on the organization as their sole health care provider”, King said in a statement released Thursday evening. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, who threatened to oppose the measure if it wasn’t strong enough.

Democrats were unable to block the measure, brought to the floor under budget reconciliation rules that prevent a filibuster.

Republicans spent weeks hammering out the strategy targeting Planned Parenthood and the Affordable Care Act. Under Democratic control, the Senate had never taken up a standalone vote on a repeal bill.

A similar version of the bill was passed by the House on October 23, but they still have to vote because the Senate restructured the bill so that it can align with budgetary regulation. Republicans say the law commonly known as “Obamacare” has increased pressure on middle-class families by increasing premiums and the overall cost of health insurance plans. Collins said her amendment would have prohibited the use of federal funds for abortions, except in the cases of rape, incest or where the life of the mother is considered at risk.

Senators passed by a vote of 90 to 10 an amendment sponsored by Sen.

The group has been under intense scrutiny after secretly recorded videos of officials discussing the sale of foetal tissue to scientists emerged earlier this year.

Investigations in at least eight states have found no evidence of wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood, as RH Reality Check has reported.

The video series’ producers have charged that such transactions were illegal under laws that only allow “reasonable” compensation for operational expenses.

Republicans argued voters were on their side.