This roller coaster the Senate Republican leadership has put the nation on regarding its efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, may be lacking in thrills, but it’s certainly had a lot of ups and downs and twists and turns.
The latest turn: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has announced a procedural vote to consider effectively the same bill the Senate adopted in December of 2015 that would fully repeal Obamacare will happen next week. Forty-eight current GOP senators supported that legislation at that time, and two others who have joined the senate since then have said they would vote in favor of it.
That would give the Republicans the 50 votes they need to trigger a tie—if no Democrats join—which would be broken by Vice President Mike Pence.
But that’s not going to happen. As was reported Tuesday, Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced they will now vote against the measure.
So, why have a vote? In a word, politics.
The vote will officially put every Republican senator on record regarding where he or she stands regarding the promise they campaigned upon: repealing Obamacare. It will also likely put every Democrat senator on record regarding his or her desire to keep the failing health care law.
McConnell is currently scheduled to release the Senate for its traditional August recess, albeit two weeks later than previously planned. This will leave them in their home states for two weeks to answer to those who elected them into office. Evangelical Christians will have an opportunity to encourage their representatives in the days ahead. {eoa}
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