The U.S. Senate Decides the Reform

The U.S. Senate Rejected Repeal of Health Care Reform

The U.S. Senators, mainly Democrats, all voted by simple majority to keep the law, 51 to 47. Therefore, they have rejected the Republican initiative to have it repealed. All the Republicans present voted to repeal it. Democrats and an independent member of the Senate voted to leave the law, without amending it. Thus, the decision of the House of Representatives was blocked when Congressmen voted to reject the reform, 245 to 189. But even in case the Senate had also voted to reject it, President Barack Obama would have vetoed that decision.

The health care reform, enacted on March 23, 2010, is a very significant issue for Mr. Obama. It was one of the key elements of his pre-election campaign. The new law extends coverage to more than 30 million Americans. In addition to that, medical insurance will become more accessible for low-income citizens. But Republicans will stick to their battle against “Obamacare.” They strongly oppose the reform, saying it would increase government spending and, eventually, lead to job cuts. Democrats have their argument in favor of the reform: If the reform is chipped away, it would become costly for the budget and whittle down the tax exemptions for small businesses provided by the law. President Obama talks of his intention to cooperate both with Democrats and Republicans in order to “improve” the law, but repeal of the law is not an option.

Opponents of the reform are attacking it with legal appeals, insisting that the law is unconstitutional. The reform, in their view, violates the main American rights. According to the new rules, a U.S. citizen has to obtain medical insurance, which means they do not have a choice.