Senate passes budget resolution

The Senate voted 51-48 early today to pass a fiscal year 2017 budget resolution, beginning the process to potentially repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act. The resolution instructs the four authorizing committees – House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions – to achieve at least $1 billion each in savings in FYs 2017 through 2026 using the budget reconciliation process. The reconciliation process requires only 51 votes for passage in the Senate rather than the usual 60 votes. All items included in reconciliation legislation must either save or spend money; overall, the legislation also must reduce the federal deficit. The resolution instructs the committees to submit their legislation to their respective Budget Committee by Jan. 27, 2017. The separate bills would then be combined for floor consideration. The budget resolution also includes the establishment of reserve funds for replacing the ACA. The House is expected to consider the resolution tomorrow.