WEB DESK
The US Senate has failed to pass a Republican proposal to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare policy without replacing it. The 45 – 55 vote marks the second defeat for Republicans aiming to pass a bill this week to undo the health policy.
The vote came a day after the Senate rejected a plan to repeal and replace the health law with a Republican plan. Senators will now consider a skinny repeal, which would scale back some of the more controversial provisions.
The skinny plan would eliminate unpopular parts of Obamacare – the Affordable Care Act – including the individual mandate requiring all Americans to have health insurance coverage as well as a tax on medical devices.
The defeat is the latest blow for President Donald Trump, who put repealing Obamacare at the centre of his election campaign, and underscores sharp divisions within the Republican Party over a replacement plan.