Abortion language from the Senate healthcare bill might be cut so Republicans can expedite its passage and avoid a filibuster, The New York Times reported.
The provision – approved in the House bill last month – would ban the use of federal tax credits to help Americans purchase insurance plans that include abortion coverage. If dropped, it could cost the bill some votes from conservatives which could prove to be a problem as Senate Republicans can only afford to lose two party votes of the 52.
Since Republicans are using budget reconciliation rules to pass the repeal bill in order to prevent a filibuster, provisions must be budget-related to be included.
"It's one of the problems we have to work with," Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the Finance Committee, told the Times. “We're not quite sure how that's going to be resolved."
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., called the bill "Obamacare lite."
"I'm still hoping we reach impasse, and we actually go back to the idea we originally started with, which was repealing Obamacare," Paul said.
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