Senator Mike Lee is getting ready to make a pitch to repeal Obamacare with a 51-vote majority.
An amendment to the highway bill that would repeal Obamacare was considered Sunday. Though it was voted down 49-43 – it required a 60-vote majority – according to The Daily Signal, Senator Lee argues that there will be an “opportunity to resurrect that Obamacare amendment later on in the process.”
How? In a press release, Senator Lee said,
“After cloture is reached on the Export-Import Bank amendment, senators will still be allowed to offer germane amendments to the highway bill, each of which would only require a simple-majority to pass. If the Chair rules that the Obamacare amendment is non-germane, Senate Rule 22 also allows any senator to appeal that ruling to the full Senate. At that point, a simple-majority of Senators would have the power to add the Obamacare repeal amendment to the highway bill.”
There are 54 Republicans in the Senate. If a vote were to happen, it should occur either Monday evening or Tuesday.
The amendment to repeal Obamacare is just one attempt to use the highway bill to get other things done. Senator Cruz hoped to add an amendment to prohibit the Iran nuclear deal until Iran recognizes Israel and releases all U.S. hostages and Senator Paul pushed an amendment to defund Planned Parenthood.
All but an amendment to revive the Export-Import Bank and Lee’s amendment to defund Obamacare were blocked by Mitch McConnell using a tactic called “filling the tree.”
