Senate to vote on repeal of health care law

February 2, 2011

USA Today

Catalina Camia

The Republican effort to repeal the nation's health care law moves to the U.S. Senate today, where a vote to overturn President Obama's signature domestic achievement is likely to fail.

A day after a federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the House-passed bill on repeal as an amendment to a pending measure on aviation issues.

"If everyone in this chamber evaluated this bill for what it is, we'd repeal it right now," McConnell said. "And then we'd begin the work of achieving our mutual goal of delivering health care at a higher quality for lower costs."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., armed with a 53-47 voting advantage, agreed to the vote on the repeal bill. He said he wanted Republicans "to get this out of their system quickly."

McConnell has the support of all 47 GOP senators, but it is unclear if any Democrats will join them.

Also today, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin, D-Ill., will hold hearings about the legal underpinnings of the health care law.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson struck down the entire law -- going further than another federal judge did in ruling only the requirement that all Americans buy health insurance was unconstitutional.

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