A House panel has approved down partisan lines a bill full of GOP priorities such as defunding Planned Parenthood and repealing major parts of Obamacare, sending it to the House for consideration.
The legislation represents Republicans’ best shot at undermining two of their biggest targets, the Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest abortion provider, but is still expected to ultimately fail with a veto by President Obama.
The package passed Friday by the House Budget Committee combines legislation already passed by three other committees with jurisdiction over healthcare. It repeals key parts of the 2010 healthcare law, including ditching the individual mandate to buy health coverage and the employer mandate to offer it; a controversial Medicare payment advisory board; and the law’s taxes on medical devices and high-cost health plans.
The bill also prohibits Planned Parenthood from getting federal funds for one year, instead providing those funds to community health centers.
Republicans have already tried to attack Obamacare and Planned Parenthood legislatively, but this time they’re using a particular kind of bill known as budget reconciliation. That tactic carries certain requirements, as all the provisions in it must be related to spending, but it allows for Senate approval with just a simple majority, instead of the typical 60 votes required.
“The difference this time is we have an opportunity for the Senate to actually get to the legislation and get a piece of legislation to the president’s desk” said Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, R-Ga. “Very positive activity that’s going on here today.”
Senate Republicans are expected to pass some version of the bill, although the Senate may strip out some parts if they’re not deemed to fall under the jurisdiction of a reconciliation bill. But Obama is expected to veto it, halting the effort before it can become law.
Democrats pointed out that looming dead-end, with top committee Democrat Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., accusing Republicans of using the budget reconciliation process to go on a “witch hunt.”
“I would end these witch hunts,” Van Hollen said. “This effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, you know it’s going nowhere. The president is going to reject the bill. This effort to go after Planned Parenthood is not going to go anywhere.”
The House is expected to pass the bill before the end of the month, sending it to the Senate. It’s not clear whether the Senate will pass a reconciliation bill before or after the Thanksgiving break.
