Graham-Cassidy Bill is Revoked From the Senate Floor

On September 26, Senate Republicans pull the Graham-Cassidy Bill from the floor after it became apparent that there were not enough votes to pass the bill. This is the third failed attempt by Republicans to repeal and replace the Obama era Affordable Care Act (The Hill).

Maine senator Susan Collins dealt the final blow for the Graham-Cassidy Bill when she publicly announced she would vote no when the time came around. Collins joins senators Rand Paul of Kentucky, and John McCain of Arizona (CNN). Collins had predicted that she would be unable to support the bill due to the lack of protection for people with pre-existing conditions, and the frenetic drafting of the bill itself.

This latest try to repeal Obamacare is the newest instalment in a nearly year-long epic of Republicans seeking to fulfil their promise of removing the Act. Beginning with the election of Donald Trump on November 9th, 2016, and the Republicans gaining control of both the House and the Senate, the outlook was promising for Republicans to repeal the ACA. Drafting for the repeal and replace bill begun shortly after the Trump too office in January, but was met with much criticism from both sides when finally unveiled in March. The bill is pulled from the House floor by Paul Ryan when it becomes apparent that there are not enough votes (The Hill).

New life is given to the bill when the House Freedom Caucus endorses a revised version, and it passes the House in June. The new “Better Care Reconciliation Act” undergoes many revisions throughout the summer in order to attract as many Republican Senators to vote for it as possible. The bill is eventually scaled down significantly and is nicknamed the “Skinny Repeal.” After many delays, the bill was struck down on July 28th by Senator John McCain when he joins the aforementioned Senator Susan Collins and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska (The Hill).

In a final, eleventh hour attempt to come through on their promise, Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana drafted yet another repeal and replace bill on September 13th in hopes to pass the bill before the end of the month to avoid a Democratic filibuster (The Hill). The bill is met with a lot of flak, due to its funding cuts to Medicaid, undercoverage of those with pre-existing conditions, and hasty partisan nature. Finally, the bill is pulled from the floor with, again, not enough votes to pass it, and the latest chapter of the repeal and replace saga is over in less than two weeks.

Even in the face of defeat, Republicans vow to continue the fight in replacing the ACA with a suitable replacement. President Trump expressed much disappointment and echoed the promise to try again with the repeal and replace efforts (CNN). Many Democrats and people breathe easy again knowing that the Affordable Care Act is, for now, safe and here to stay.