Republicans fall short in latest Obamacare repeal effort

Senate Republicans failed Wednesday afternoon in an effort to repeal Obamacare without replacing it. In a 55-45 vote, seven GOP senators joined all Democrats in rejecting an amendment put forth by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., which would have repealed major portions of former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law with a two-year delay to replace it. Several GOP senators were dismayed that several of their colleagues voted against a bill that was nearly identical to legislation passed in 2015 but vetoed by Obama. “I think everybody in there, maybe except for one senator, promised their supporters, their voters that they supported repeal of Obamacare,” said Ron Johnson, R-Wis., referring to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who opposed the 2015 repeal. “A lot of them said ‘root and branch.’ Now, we’re so far away from that. I’d just remind my colleagues, remember what you promised your voters.” The Congressional Budget Office estimated that repealing Obamacare without replacing it would cause more than 30 million Americans to lose their insurance coverage, which led to a handful of Republicans to vote no Thursday. Senators are now considering a “skinny repeal” that would do away with a few key elements of Obamacare, including the mandate requiring everyone to purchase insurance and taxes.