The U.S. Senate has just passed a budget resolution that will officially begin the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act. The measure, which passed 51-48, directs the House to have a repeal bill ready to go by January 27, just one week after Trump takes office.Republican Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming, who is chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and sponsored the bill, issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon touting the legislation. Today, we take the first steps to repair the nation s broken health care system, removing Washington from the equation and putting control back where it belongs: with patients, their families, and their doctors,  Enzi said.Republicans fell short of the 60 votes necessary to repeal the ACA flat out. But where there s a will there s a way when it comes to the GOP screwing over the American people, so they decided to defund the program through a budget resolution instead, which only needs a majority vote.NPR explains that this  means they can essentially gut the law, removing all the subsidies that help low- and middle-income people buy health insurance and getting rid of the smorgasbord of taxes   on medical devices, insurance companies and wealthy individuals   that pay for those subsidies. Repealing Obamacare will be a complete and total disaster, but that hasn t stopped Republicans from fighting against the healthcare program tooth and nail since the day it passed seven years ago. Yet, in all that time they haven t been able to come up with a plan to replace it and they aren t any closer to one today.The repeal of the ACA will leave as many as 30 million Americans without insurance. For many, such as those with diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus, kidney failure, and other serious conditions, this is all but a death sentence. Medicare and Medicaid will also be devastated if the GOP gets their way. But Republicans don t give a damn and never have. They just want to make America sick again to stick it to Obama and don t care who they kill in the process.If you would like to let lawmakers in the House and Senate know just how you feel about this, you can call 202-224-3121.Featured image via Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images