The House is planning to send an Obamacare repeal bill to President Obama’s desk soon after returning to Capitol Hill next year, forcing the president to approve major cuts to his signature law or veto the legislation.
Lawmakers on the House Rules Committee are scheduled to consider the repeal bill Jan. 6, indicating the full House is likely to vote on the legislation in the same week, according to a memo sent out Wednesday.
The bill is the culmination of months of work by Republican staffers, who crafted a bill using special budget rules so it would require just 51 Senate votes to pass instead of the usual 60 votes. There is wide agreement that it’s the GOP’s best chance to pass legislation repealing big parts of the Affordable Care Act, although Obama has said he would veto it.
The legislation eliminates the law’s requirements for individuals to buy health coverage and for employers to provide it to workers, along with its taxes and its biggest spending drivers, which include subsidies to buy health coverage and funding for Medicaid expansion. It also blocks Planned Parenthood from getting federal funds for one year.
The House had already passed a version of the legislation, but had to reapprove the bill after the Senate amended it earlier this month.
Although the measure won’t become law, it’s a way for Republicans to broadcast their discontent with the legislation as the 2016 elections ramp up. It also sets up a standard for what they might be able to repeal in Obamacare should a Republican win the White House next year.
