The Limits of Using Reconciliation to Repeal Obamacare
The Senate rule may be the best hope for the GOP in rolling back the Affordable Care Act, but it still might not be an easy task.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, Senate Republicans began the formal legislative process of repealing—and perhaps replacing—the Affordable Care Act. In a 51 to 48 vote along party lines, save Senator Rand Paul’s defection to the “no” camp, the GOP senators passed a budget resolution to begin the process known as reconciliation. Through that process, lawmakers can vote on critical pieces of the health law without giving Democrats a chance to filibuster. But the reconciliation process is complex, and its limits will shape just how a potential repeal and replacement might look.
Just what is reconciliation, and how does it work? The measure was created by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and it essentially of bills pertaining to
