Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124sponsored by BUSINESS TIP For the past six years, “Repeal Obamacare” has been a potent mantra, a rallying cry that ener- gized Republicans and turned out voters. The Republican-controlled House churned out repeal legisla- tion on a regular basis, passing over 50 repeal bills! Yet, with President Obama’s veto pen always looming, repeal was never going to happen and everyone knew it. Only now, with the stunning upset victory of Donald Trump for president, is repeal of the massive and controversial health care bill suddenly real. Republicans control the White House and both cham- bers in Congress. The expectation for bold action from the Republican base is very high. Does this mean repeal of Obamacare will be a done deal in the first 100 days? Not necessarily. In fact, the road ahead for Obamacare repeal is complicated. Practical realities First are the practical reali- ties of the legislative process. Republicans are in control, but they don’t have the 60 votes need- ed in the Senate to overcome a fil- ibuster, a tactic Democrats would emphatically employ to block any repeal legislation. Of course, Republican leaders can get around this by repealing key parts of the health care law through the “budget reconcilia- tion” process, a special procedure that only requires a simple major- ity vote. (That is the same pro- cess used by Democrats to pass The Affordable Care Act [ACA] in the first place.) Still, budget reconciliation takes time, requir- ing passage of budget resolutions and other procedural niceties, and it does not allow for total repeal. While it is a likely vehicle for ACA repeal, it will be neither quick nor clear cut. Obamacare: the road to repeal By Pat O'Connor, Kent and O'Connor, Washington, D.C. 28 TileLetter | December 2016