Senate votes to gut ObamaCare, defund Planned Parenthood


Late Thursday, the Senate approved a bill that would repeal most of the Affordable Care Act and strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood. The vote was 52 to 47, with two Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Mark Kirk (Ill.) — joining all Democrats present in voting no. Republicans passed the legislation under a process called budget reconciliation that requires only 51 votes and can't be filibustered, and it now will be meshed with a similar bill already passed by the House. The House has voted to repeal ObamaCare numerous times over the past several years, but this would be the first bill to reach the president's desk. Obama, of course, has vowed to veto the bill, and it appears the Senate doesn't have the votes to override his veto.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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