GOP Angling to Get Senate Vote on Obamacare

Senate Republicans have almost no chance of duplicating this week’s House’s vote to repeal the national healthcare law, but they can force a vote on the measure, the National Journal reports. By offering repeal as an amendment to another bill, or through other legislative tactics, the minority can at least get both parties on the record.

“The Democratic leadership in the Senate doesn’t want to vote on this bill. But I assure you, we will,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The likeliest approach is to tack health-care repeal on to legislation that would otherwise pass, a move that sets in motion blocking maneuvers and counter-votes to allow consideration of the amendment.

In a Senate controlled by Democrats, however, none of those steps is likely to produce the 60 votes needed to repeal health care. And neither chamber appears to have enough votes to override a certain veto by the White House.