Repeal and Replace: The hard work begins

With the election of Donald J. Trump and Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate, it is likely that “repeal and replace” of President Obama’s signature health care law will be a priority for early consideration in the next Congress. A wholesale repeal of the ACA would likely fail in the Senate, given that Republicans do not hold a filibuster-proof majority. On the other hand, a partial repeal of revenue and outlay provisions of the ACA through a reconciliation process would require only a simple majority in the Senate.

Although there is a great deal of uncertainty as to how and what parts of the ACA President-elect Trump and Congressional Republicans will seek to repeal, the past is perhaps the best guide for the future. President-elect Trump and Republican Congressional leaders will need to work together in order to make good on campaign promises to repeal the ACA, and they are likely to use past reconciliation efforts as a starting point.