Earlier today, a quartet of Republican senators — Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) — introduced the Patient Freedom Act, S. 191. The bill, they say, is a comprehensive replacement for ObamaCare after it's repealed, the process for which is currently underway in Congress.

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Among President Donald Trump's first acts in the Oval Office on Friday was putting his signature on a rather lengthy executive order that deals a major blow to ObamaCare. The executive order states that it's the policy of the Trump administration to repeal the 2010 health care law and gives the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), presumably nominee Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (R-Ga.), who is awaiting Senate confirmation, "all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation" of ObamaCare.

With the passage of S.Con.Res. 3, the FY 2017 budget resolution, Congress has started the process of repealing ObamaCare through reconciliation. Although the budget resolution spends far too much and increases publicly held debt by $9 trillion, its purpose is to direct relevant committees to make recommendations to repeal ObamaCare. It will not be sent to the president for approval.

The Senate didn't waste any time when it convened at the beginning of the 115th Congress. The chamber moved quickly on a motion to proceed on the FY 2017 budget regulation, S.Con.Res. 3, which begins the process of repealing ObamaCare. The resolution directs two Senate committees -- Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions -- and two House committees -- Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce -- to begin work on repeal legislation through budget reconciliation.

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