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| Republican attempts to replace Obamacare fail | Republican attempts to replace Obamacare fail |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Republican efforts to find a replacement for President Obama's healthcare system have collapsed. | Republican efforts to find a replacement for President Obama's healthcare system have collapsed. |
| Two Republican senators said they opposed their party's proposed alternative, making it impossible for the bill to pass in its current form. | Two Republican senators said they opposed their party's proposed alternative, making it impossible for the bill to pass in its current form. |
| The party has been divided on the issue, with moderates concerned about the effects on the most vulnerable. | The party has been divided on the issue, with moderates concerned about the effects on the most vulnerable. |
| President Trump has now called for repeal of Obamacare, so Republicans can start "from a clean slate". | President Trump has now called for repeal of Obamacare, so Republicans can start "from a clean slate". |
| That task falls to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. | That task falls to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. |
| "Regretfully, it is now apparent that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failure of Obamacare will not be successful," Mr McConnell said. | "Regretfully, it is now apparent that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failure of Obamacare will not be successful," Mr McConnell said. |
| What had been proposed? | What had been proposed? |
| President Trump had made repealing and replacing Obamacare, under which more than 20 million people gained healthcare coverage, a key campaign pledge. | President Trump had made repealing and replacing Obamacare, under which more than 20 million people gained healthcare coverage, a key campaign pledge. |
| Republicans view the 2010 legislation as an overreach of the federal government and say patients have less choice and higher premiums. | |
| The party's proposed alternative had kept key Obamacare taxes on the wealthy, while imposing sharp cuts to healthcare for the poor and allowing insurers to offer less coverage. | The party's proposed alternative had kept key Obamacare taxes on the wealthy, while imposing sharp cuts to healthcare for the poor and allowing insurers to offer less coverage. |
| Why has it failed? | Why has it failed? |
| Two Republican senators, Mike Lee and Jerry Moran, said the new legislation did not go far enough in repealing Obamacare. | Two Republican senators, Mike Lee and Jerry Moran, said the new legislation did not go far enough in repealing Obamacare. |
| Mr Moran said "we should not put our stamp of approval on bad policy" while for Mr Lee, "in addition to not repealing all of the Obamacare taxes [the bill] doesn't go far enough in lowering premiums for middle class families; nor does it create enough free space from the most costly Obamacare regulations". | Mr Moran said "we should not put our stamp of approval on bad policy" while for Mr Lee, "in addition to not repealing all of the Obamacare taxes [the bill] doesn't go far enough in lowering premiums for middle class families; nor does it create enough free space from the most costly Obamacare regulations". |
| Two senators - Rand Paul and Susan Collins - had already opposed the bill. Mr Paul said the bill kept too much of the "ObamaCare taxes", while Ms Collins expressed concerns about cuts to Medicaid. | Two senators - Rand Paul and Susan Collins - had already opposed the bill. Mr Paul said the bill kept too much of the "ObamaCare taxes", while Ms Collins expressed concerns about cuts to Medicaid. |
| With the two new opponents, Republicans - who hold 52 seats - no longer have enough votes to pass the bill in the 100-member Senate. | With the two new opponents, Republicans - who hold 52 seats - no longer have enough votes to pass the bill in the 100-member Senate. |
| Moderate Republicans had also said the bill would have harmed some of their vulnerable constituents. | Moderate Republicans had also said the bill would have harmed some of their vulnerable constituents. |
| The non-partisan Congressional Budgetary Office (CBO) found the bill would have stripped 22 million Americans of health insurance over the next decade. | The non-partisan Congressional Budgetary Office (CBO) found the bill would have stripped 22 million Americans of health insurance over the next decade. |
| On top of that, polls had shown Obamacare remained popular among Americans - a survey by the Washington Post and ABC News on Monday found more than twice as many people preferred Mr Obama's programme to the proposed alternative. | On top of that, polls had shown Obamacare remained popular among Americans - a survey by the Washington Post and ABC News on Monday found more than twice as many people preferred Mr Obama's programme to the proposed alternative. |
| Analysis: The end of repeal-and-replace war? | Analysis: The end of repeal-and-replace war? |
| By Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter | By Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter |
| In the end the death blow to the latest iteration of Obamacare repeal came from the right flank. | In the end the death blow to the latest iteration of Obamacare repeal came from the right flank. |
| Mr McConnell was always going to have to walk a fine line in his effort to keep both moderates and hard-core conservatives in party on board with his healthcare reform proposal. After his first draft failed to garner sufficient support, he came out with a new version that moved farther to the right in key areas while throwing money to keep the moderates satiated. | Mr McConnell was always going to have to walk a fine line in his effort to keep both moderates and hard-core conservatives in party on board with his healthcare reform proposal. After his first draft failed to garner sufficient support, he came out with a new version that moved farther to the right in key areas while throwing money to keep the moderates satiated. |
| That strategy worked in the House, where Freedom Caucus arch-conservatives and just enough moderates came around to rescue the legislation from death's doorstep. | That strategy worked in the House, where Freedom Caucus arch-conservatives and just enough moderates came around to rescue the legislation from death's doorstep. |
| This time the entire rickety structure came tumbling down. The Senate may very well try to vote on straight-up repeal, as the president has suggested - one with a two-year fuse - but it faces long odds in winning a majority support. If and when that fails, it's back to the drawing board for Republicans. | This time the entire rickety structure came tumbling down. The Senate may very well try to vote on straight-up repeal, as the president has suggested - one with a two-year fuse - but it faces long odds in winning a majority support. If and when that fails, it's back to the drawing board for Republicans. |
| This isn't the end of congressional efforts to pass healthcare legislation. But it's likely the end of the repeal-and-replace war as it's been waged for the past six months. | This isn't the end of congressional efforts to pass healthcare legislation. But it's likely the end of the repeal-and-replace war as it's been waged for the past six months. |
| What happens now? | What happens now? |
| Mr Trump urged Republicans to repeal the "failing Obamacare now and work on a new healthcare plan that will start from a clean slate". | |
| Mr McConnell said he would try to pass a repeal of Obamacare with a two-year delay implementation that would provide a "stable transition period" to a new legislation. | Mr McConnell said he would try to pass a repeal of Obamacare with a two-year delay implementation that would provide a "stable transition period" to a new legislation. |
| Correspondents, however, say that this plan has little chance of passing as, under the interim period, millions would be left without healthcare. | |
| Republican Senator John McCain, who is recovering from surgery, called for a bipartisan strategy to produce a new bill. | |
| "The Congress must now return to regular order, hold hearings, receive input from members of both parties," he said in a statement. | "The Congress must now return to regular order, hold hearings, receive input from members of both parties," he said in a statement. |
| Democrats have said they will not co-operate to repeal Obamacare, but that they can work in a bipartisan way to improve it. | Democrats have said they will not co-operate to repeal Obamacare, but that they can work in a bipartisan way to improve it. |
| Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer said on Twitter: "This second failure of Trumpcare is proof positive that the core of this bill is unworkable." | Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer said on Twitter: "This second failure of Trumpcare is proof positive that the core of this bill is unworkable." |