(S. 223) On a motion to waive the Senate’s budget rules and pass an amendment that would have repealed a 2010 landmark health care reform law that prohibited health insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions and provided health insurance coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans.
The healthcare reform measure that Republicans sought to repeal was strongly supported by President Obama, and he signed it into law in March 2010. The law imposed a requirement that most Americans have health insurance, and was estimated to expand insurance coverage to 95% of the U.S. population. Employers with more than 50 workers were required to provide health insurance for their employees. The measure added 15 million people to the Medicaid rolls, and subsidized the purchase of private health insurance coverage for low- and middle-income people. In addition, the health care law imposed a 40% tax on high-cost insurance plans -- or those plans that are worth more than $27,500 for families, and $10,200 for individuals.
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) contended that the amendment violated the Senate’s budget rules because it would have increased the budget deficit. McConnell then made a motion to waive the Senate’s budget rules and pass the amendment.
The Senate rejected the motion to waive its budget rules—thus defeating McConnell’s amendment—by a vote of 47-51. (At least 60 votes are required to waive the Senate’s budget rules.) All 47 Republicans voted “yea.” All 51 Democrats present voted “nay.” As a result, the Senate rejected an amendment that would have repealed a 2010 landmark health care reform law that provided health insurance coverage to 30 million previously uninsured Americans and prohibited health insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions.