*It was pure theater Thursday night/Friday morning as the Senate voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act otherwise known as Obamacare.
The bottom line is that it DIDN’T happen. The Trump/Republican effort to dismantle President Obama’s signature legislation collapsed when a slimmed-down Senate measure to pare back the 2010 health-care law failed.
In a 49-51 vote, the Senate rejected a measure to roll back a handful of elements of the law with three Republican senators – Susan Collins, John McCain and Lisa Murkowski – and all 48 Democrats voting in opposition to the bill, dealing a stinging defeat to President Donald Trump, who made repeal of Obamacare a key promise of his 2016 campaign.
Republican leaders, including Vice President Mike Pence pressed McCain on his vote for nearly an hour in the chamber while Senators waited in tense anticipation. McCain’s eventual no vote was met by cheers among Democratic Senators.
The bill’s failure exposed the difficulty Senate Republicans faced in trying to corral 50 votes for any legislation making changes to the ACA, whether modest or major.
At this point, Trump and the Republicans are without any obvious next step in their efforts to deliver on a longtime campaign promise.
We can’t wait for Trump’s tweeting to begin. The countdown is on.
In the meantime, you can read/learn MORE at NBC News.
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