Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act in one fell swoop by starving it of funding, but many of his Republican colleagues, while saying they agree with his goal, prefer a less radical approach,
Politico reported.
The lawmakers would vote instead against individual planks of the president's signature healthcare program, such as the tax on medical devices and the redefinition of full-time work as 30-hours a week, Politico said.
It would take a simple 51-vote majority to take down Obamacare outright using a budget reconciliation measure.
Each one of the new GOP senators campaigned on repealing Obamacare, according to
CNS.
But with millions of Americans enrolled in the program, many of its opponents are hesitant to kill it outright. Maine Republican Susan Collins, for instance, would try to improve Obamacare rather than revoke it, Politico reported.
Many Senate Republicans are concerned that employing a simple majority using a budget measure would look underhanded — too much like what President Barack Obama did when he forced through the plan with his Democratic majority and no Republican backing, Politico reported.
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune prefers going slow. "There are things that you can target and try to do this piece by piece. And we'll see: we'll push the limits and see what we can do," according to Politico.
Incoming Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had raised the possibility of using the budget to kill Obamacare with a simple majority. Now, it appears he wants to get a handle on sentiment in the Senate before formulating an approach, Politico reported.
While there are senators who support Cruz rhetorically, it is not clear how many would actually follow his lead.
Cruz is said to accept that it may take a piecemeal line of attack to take down Obamacare, according to his spokeswoman Catherine Frazier.
The junior senator from Texas is nonetheless likely to push for the 51-vote repeal strategy first even if he does not have much backing among his fellow anti-Obamacare Republicans.
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