WASHINGTON, D.C. - Both of the Nebraska's senators voted on Tuesday to begin floor debate on legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare.
Sen. Deb Fischer and Sen. Ben Sasse voted yes on the procedural motion to start debate on the floor. The motion passed after Vice-President Mike Pence broke the 50-50 tie.
Fischer said in a statement that she made her vote because the current law has made health insurance more expensive for her state.
“Under ObamaCare, health insurance has become increasingly unaffordable for Nebraskans. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, premiums in Nebraska increased 153 percent from 2013-2017," says Fischer.
The contents of the new law is still unknown, as Republicans have disputed for months on what exactly they would replace the health care law with. The floor debate will allow any senator to introduce amendments on the floor, to which the Senate will then vote on.
"This is step one in what's going to be a long process — I expect the Senate to immediately start the back and forth amendment process," says Sasse.
The motion received zero votes from Democrats, with two Senate Republicans also voting nay.
All three Nebraska congressmen voted in May to repeal and replace ObamaCare, but Sasse says the Senate bill will differ from house legislation.
"If a bill ultimately passes, it will not be the House bill, but rather something that goes to a conference debate process with the House of Representatives," says Sasse.
Sasse, Fischer Both Vote to Start Formal Debate on Repealing ObamaCare
