The New York Times (1/12, Kaplan, Pear, Subscription Publication, 13.9M) reports that early this morning, GOP senators “took their first major step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act...approving a budget blueprint that would allow them to gut the health care law without the threat of a Democratic filibuster.” The vote of 51-48 “followed a marathon session in which senators took back-to-back roll call votes on numerous amendments.” The article says this quick approval “shows the speed with which Republican leaders are moving to fulfill their promise to repeal President Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement – a goal they believe can now be achieved after Mr. Trump’s election.”
The Wall Street Journal (1/12, Peterson, Andrews, Subscription Publication, 6.37M) reports that with this vote, GOP senators cleared the first significant obstacle in their effort to repeal the ACA. The article adds that the House will consider the bill on Friday, and it is expected to vote along party lines.
The AP (1/12) reports that this almost “party-line 51-48 vote came on a nonbinding Republican-backed budget measure that eases the way for action on subsequent repeal legislation as soon as next month.”
On its website, ABC News (1/12, Parks, 3.09M) reports that passing this resolution “was a key step for Republicans as they move to undo major parts of President Obama’s signature health care law,” because it “clears the way for the GOP to pass final legislation with a 51-vote simple majority, instead of the 60 votes required for most legislation.”