The Senate voted Tuesday to begin debating a replacement for the Affordable Care Act. It remains uncertain as to what that replacement might look like.
No formal legislation has been drafted. But senators moved to take the procedural first step, known as a "motion to proceed."
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) voted in favor, while Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) voted against, along with every other Democrat in the Senate. Just two GOP Senators voted in opposition: Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
The vote was 51 to 50, with Vice President Pence casting the tie-breaking vote.
Pence served as Governor of Indiana for four years, during which he expanded Medicaid for Hoosiers under the Affordable Care Act. The state's HIP 2.0 program serves more than 400,000 low-income Hoosiers. Current Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-Ind.) is asking the federal government for permission to add a work requirement for some recipients.
In a statement after the vote Tuesday, Donnelly expressed disappointment in the outcome.
"I'm disappointed that the Senate has decided to make this a partisan process in an attempt to jam through proposals that would threaten the health and economic well-being of millions of Americans," he said. "I am going to continue to do everything possible to fight for quality, affordable health care for Hoosiers, and that is why I will be leading an amendment to protect Medicaid, including Indiana's HIP 2.0 program."
In a statement after the vote Tuesday, Young said "doing nothing is not an option."
"Ultimately, it is imperative that we fundamentally reform our healthcare system and my vote to proceed to debate allows us to begin that process," Young said. "I will continue to work with my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to come up with a solution that provides long-term stability to our healthcare system and gives each and every Hoosier the opportunity to access quality and affordable insurance."
With debate formally opened, senators will be able to freely offer amendments, so nobody knows what the final product will look like. It's an unusual and perhaps unprecedented way to draft a bill that will affect millions of Americans and a large chunk of the economy.
