Senate passes Obamacare repeal

After five years of failed attempts, U.S. Senate Republicans on Thursday passed a symbolic partisan bill to gut President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare reform law, but the effort has already been condemned to death by Obama’s plans to veto it.

However, the White House announced earlier this week it would veto the repeal legislation.

Both measures were in a single bill that passed 52-to-47 Thursday night.

A number amendments attached by Democrats, including a series of anti-gun measures and a provision allowing the controversial women’s health organization to keep its federal funding in place were tabled by a majority vote.

The Senate bill strengthened a previously passed House bill, H.R. 3762, which was also aimed at repealing Obamacare. Moderate GOP Sens. Susan Collins of ME and Mark Kirk of IL voted no, the only lawmakers to cross party lines. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, did not vote.

The bill strips federal funding from Planned Parenthood in response to undercover videos purporting to show officials talking about selling tissue from aborted fetuses.

President Obama reiterated his promise to veto the bill. It takes away the penalties on individuals who do not buy insurance and on employers who do not offer health insurance. It would also put an end to the ACA’s Medicaid expansion.

After the reconciliation package passed, conservatives praised the Senate’s version of the legislation, which differed substantially from that passed by the House in October. The G-O-P controlled House has voted dozens of times to repeal it.

Democrats claim that Obamacare, formally titled the Affordable Care Act, has provided 17.6 million Americans with health care and prevented insurance companies from refusing to insure patients with preexisting conditions.

“We think this problem is so urgent that, next year, we are going to unveil a plan to replace every word of Obamacare”, Ryan said at the Library of Congress.