THE WASHINGTON TIMES: Republicans Win First Obamacare Fight In Senate Budget Vote

By Tom Howell Jr., The Washington Times // January 5, 2017

vp pence: goal is to 'lower the cost of health insurance without growing the size of government'

EDITOR’S NOTE: “We the People” chose Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States in a stunning repudiation of the political establishment and Barack Obama’s “transformed” America.

President-elect Trump’s campaign platform included, as one of his primary objectives to “Make America Great Again,” repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA, aka Obamacare), Obama’s “signature legislative accomplishment.”

Although U.S. healthcare reform has always been a monumental challenge, the Washington Times article below reports that the Republican controlled 115th Congress appears to be committed to their conviction to repeal Obamacare and welcome the responsibility to find optimum solutions to providing affordable, accessible and patient centered healthcare for the nation.

Hopefully, Congressional Democrats can put aside their concern about the political fallout and who might “take the blame for any mistakes,” and, unlike the ACA, those healthcare reform solutions can be established with bipartisan support.

— Dr. Jim Palermo, Editor-in-Chief

THE WASHINGTON TIMES — Republicans won the first skirmish in the Obamacare fight Wednesday, voting to begin debating fast-track budget procedures that, if successful, would allow the GOP to kill the 2010 health care law without having to face a Democratic filibuster in the Senate.

The 51-48 vote, on the second day of the 115th Congress, underscores how serious Republicans are in making good on their repeal pledge. But it also signaled that Democrats are just as committed to defending the Affordable Care Act and convinced that they have the upper hand politically.

After years of fruitless repeal votes, Republicans, now in control of Congress and about to take the White House, is firing with live rounds. Democrats said that means Republicans will take the blame for any mistakes.

“They want to repeal it and blame it on us. Not going to happen,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, said after a Capitol Hill summit with President Obama.

The president urged congressional Democrats to defend his signature law even after he is out of the White House.

Republicans counterpunched by huddling with Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Capitol Hill to plot their strategy for repealing the law, which has been their top target ever since it was enacted.

“We are going to be in the promise-keeping business, and the first order of business is to keep our promise to repeal Obamacare and replace it with the kind of health care reform that will lower the cost of health insurance without growing the size of government,” Mr. Pence said.

CLICK HERE to read multiple comments and insights from both sides of the aisle in the complete story on WashingtonTimes.com