The Real vote for Obamacare comes up tonight in a procedural move by Senator Mike Lee of Utah. You may have seen on the news that the Senate did not get the 60 votes needed to repeal Obamacare. Here is what happened and what you need to understand.

Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell offered an amendment to the Transportation bill to repeal Obamacare. Because of Senate rules, that particular amendment required 60 votes to move forward. Frankly, that vote was little more than a show vote.

McConnell knew that it would take 60 votes and he knew that he did not have 60 votes. He knew that it would not pass – but it would record yet another vote to repeal Obamacare.

Senator Mike Lee is introducing an amendment to House Resolution 22 which is the “Hire More Heroes Act.” This bill directly refers to Obamacare and it has been passed by the House. This amendment would required a simple majority to pass. It is the same process that Senator Harry Reid used to pass Obamacare with a simple majority.

Here is the key and what you need to understand. Mitch McConnell may rule that the amendment is out of order. If he does that, then Senator Lee will appeal the ruling of the chair.

The Senate will then vote on Senator Lee’s appeal. It will take 51 Senators to vote with Senator Lee to overrule the chair. Technically, it is a procedural vote that is not about Obamacare directly. But the reality is that this is all about the repeal of Obamacare.

If the Chair rules Lee’s amendment out of order and Senator Lee appeals, and more than 50 Senators vote to uphold the ruling of the Chair, (that is siding with McConnell) then the amendment never gets to the floor.

Taking it a step further, all those Senators who voted on Sunday to repeal Obamacare, but do not allow Lee’s amendment to come to the floor are not fully committed to repeal Obamacare.

Many Senators sent out press releases last Sunday announcing that they voted against Obamacare, and they proudly point to their vote against Obamacare. That dog won’t hunt. I don’t really care what anyone did last Sunday. McConnell set up that vote as a farce. The real vote is on Mike Lee’s amendment tonight.

If McConnell says it is out of order, your Senator must decide if he or she really wants to repeal Obamacare. If your Senator ran and promised to repeal Obamacare, then understand that how your Senator votes on the appeal will speak more loudly than all the campaign promises made and all the press releases that he or she has sent or will ever send about repealing Obamacare.

I hope that McConnell will not rule the amendment out of order. If he does and Lee appeals, then know that to stand with Lee or stand with McConnell’s ruling is really the vote on Obamacare.

I have already communicated with the offices of Senator Perdue and Senator Isakson. Stand with Senator Lee and let the real repeal come to the floor on the vote that matters.

I encourage you to call them as well.

Senator Johnny Isakson – 202-224-3643
Senator David Perdue – 202-224-3521

I appreciate you taking the time to read my thoughts. Please forward these to your friends and share on Facebook. Also, let me hear from you. I always enjoy hearing back from you and I try to respond when you take the time to write me.

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