U.S. Senate Rejects Republican Skinny Repeal Bill of Affordable Care Act by Narrow Vote of 49-51

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2017

The United States Senate rejected President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s “Skinny” Repeal Bill against the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare” and “ACA,” by a narrow vote of 49 in favor of repeal (all Republican Senators) and 51 against repeal with the assistance of three Republican Senators, John McCain of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine, and 48 Democrats/Independents at 1:39 A.M. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, July 27, 2017, delivering a great political loss to Trump, McConnell, and Republican Party.

Maverick Senator John McCain, who was just operated of a blood clot above his left eye and diagnosed with brain cancer, courageously voted to reject repeal of the Affordable Care Act and save health insurance coverage for over 22 Million Americans under ACA and many more under Medicaid coverage.  Joining Senator McCain were Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins who stood steadfastly in opposition to repealing the Affordable Care Act throughout the debate despite being criticized heavily by fellow Republican Senators.  Murkowski and Collins expressed concerns about the 22 Million Americans who stood to lose health insurance coverage if the Affordable Care Act was repealed.

Texas Republican Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz voted in favor of repealing the Affordable Care Act despite over one million Texans stood to lose their health coverage if the Affordable Care Act had been repealed.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lamented the rejection of repealing the Affordable Care Act as a “devastating” loss and called upon the Democrats to propose solutions to the Affordable Care Act together with Republicans.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated over 22 Million Americans and their families are relieved that they are not going to lose health insurance coverage as a result of the historic vote today to reject repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

The Republican Party’s eight year battle to repeal the Affordable Care Act ends in defeat and without a viable solution to replace ACA.  Obamacare is and remains the law of health insurance coverage in America as a consequence of the Republican Party’s failure to repeal ACA and provide a genuine replacement bill that would reduce health insurance premiums and increase health insurance coverage for more Americans.