Yesterday the Senate took the first step towards repealing health care and gutting health coverage for millions of people.
What did the Senate vote on earlier this week?
A motion to proceed to debate on health care repeal. It is a procedural vote required before the Senate can debate a bill. All but two Republican Senators—Senator Murkowski, and Senator Collins—broke their promises to protect health care and voted to proceed to debate, even though they had no idea what bill they would be debating.
What is “skinny repeal”?
Yesterday morning, Republicans started to talk about “skinny repeal.” They want us to think it is a less sinister version of repealing health care.
In reality, its far worse.
It will result in 15 million people losing insurance and premiums going up 20%. “Skinny repeal” is a classic bait and switch, meant to secure passage of something, anything, in the Senate.
Passing “skinny repeal” would allow the authors of the disastrous Senate health care bills, and the devastating House health care bill, to meet behind closed doors (again), in secret (again), to hammer out a bill that will cost millions of people their coverage, raise premiums, and put health care in a death spiral. The leaders of the repeal movement are openly talking about this being their plan:
Senate Rs (Cornyn, Rounds) are selling idea that Senate skinny repeal would just be to open door for AHCA/BCRA in conference
— Dylan Scott (@dylanlscott) July 26, 2017
What happens now?
Debate on health care repeal has begun. There will be a series of votes on amendments leading up to the final vote on health care repeal. That final vote could happen as soon as tomorrow night.
What can you do?
Call your senators. Demand that they fight to protect your health care, and the health care of those you love. Urge them to vote no on kicking 15 million or more people off health care, and raising health care premiums by 20%. Tell them to vote no on final passage of any repeal bill in the Senate.
Our voices have made an impact, and the fight to save our health care is far from over. Our community still stands strong, and ultimate passage of the legislation is by no means assured. We can still save our health care.
Here is a list of the Senators who voted to take the first step towards repealing health care yesterday.
| Senator | State |
| Lamar Alexander | Tennessee |
| John Barrasso | Wyoming |
| Roy Blunt | Missouri |
| John Boozman | Arkansas |
| Richard Burr | North Carolina |
| Shelley Moore Capito | West Virginia |
| Bill Cassidy | Louisiana |
| Thad Cochran | Mississippi |
| Bob Corker | Tennessee |
| John Cornyn | Texas |
| Tom Cotton | Arkansas |
| Mike Crapo | Idaho |
| Ted Cruz | Texas |
| Steve Daines | Montana |
| Mike Enzi | Wyoming |
| Joni Ernst | Iowa |
| Deb Fischer | Nebraska |
| Jeff Flake | Arizona |
| Cory Gardner | Colorado |
| Lindsay Graham | South Carolina |
| Chuck Grassley | Iowa |
| Orrin Hatch | Utah |
| Dean Heller | Nevada |
| John Hoeven | North Dakota |
| Jim Inhofe | Oklahoma |
| Johnny Isakson | Georgia |
| Ron Johnson | Wisconsin |
| John Kennedy | Louisiana |
| James Lankford | Oklahoma |
| Mike Lee | Utah |
| John McCain | Arizona |
| Mitch McConnell | Kentucky |
| Jerry Moran | Kansas |
| Rand Paul | Kentucky |
| David Perdue | Georgia |
| Rob Portman | Ohio |
| Jim Risch | Idaho |
| Pat Roberts | Kansas |
| Mike Rounds | South Dakota |
| Marco Rubio | Florida |
| Ben Sasse | Nebraska |
| Tim Scott | South Carolina |
| Richard Shelby | Alabama |
| Luther Strange | Alabama |
| Dan Sullivan | Alaska |
| John Thune | South Dakota |
| Thom Tillis | North Carolina |
| Pat Toomey | Pennsylvania |
| Roger Wicker | Mississippi |
| Todd Young | Indiana |
| Mike Pence | Vice President |
