Republicans Running Out Of Time To Repeal Obamacare

Senate Parliamentarian may have just delivered the final blow to GOP chances of repealing Obamacare.

Under normal Senate rules, repealing Obamacare would require 60 votes. Republicans don’t have 60 votes in the Senate which is why they have been using a procedural rule called reconciliation in their quest to repeal Obamacare.

Reconciliation allows Republicans to bypass the normal 60 vote standard and instead use a 51 vote majority on any items that are budget related. The budget reconciliation process is the same process that GOP leaders tried to use in their dramatic failure to repeal Obamacare in July.

But time is running out for Republicans to use reconciliation.

The Senate parliamentarian just ruled that a fast-track procedure that Republicans have been using to try to repeal Obamacare expires on September 30. That means after September 30, Republicans will have to find 60 votes to repeal Obamacare, not just 51.

September 30 is the end of the fiscal year and the parliamentarian, in response to an inquiry by Bernie Sanders, ruled that the fast-track option expires at the end of the fiscal year.

In a statement, Senator Sanders said, “Today’s determination by the Senate parliamentarian is a major victory for the American people and everyone who fought against President Trump’s attempt to take away health care from up to 32 million people.”

“We need to work together to expand, not cut, health care for millions of Americans who desperately need it,” Sanders added.

Technically Republicans could use the reconciliation process next year but they are planning to use it for tax cuts/reform.