What Went Down On Health Care This Week

Paul, Lee, Cotton — the conservatives like this version, the repeal and delay. They opposed Tuesday’s repeal and replace.

The Senate had been expected to have two votes on the repeal-and-delay measure. First, an amendment with language banning people from using Obamacare subsidies to buy plans that cover abortion. That language fell outside the reconciliation rules being used to pass the health care bill, so it was expected that Democrats would object to it on procedural grounds, which would have meant it needed 60 votes to pass. Second, the Senate would have voted on repeal and delay without the abortion language. But Democrats didn’t object to the vote on the first measure, so it would only require 50 votes to pass, and a second vote is probably unnecessary (though Republicans could still choose to bring up the measure without the abortion language).

Rob Portman of Ohio just voted no too. So that’s five GOP no votes.