Late-Night Senate Vote Begins Obamacare Repeal Process

Senate Republicans early Thursday morning took the first steps to repeal the Affordable Care Act in a procedural vote that could eventually allow President Obama's signature health care law to be rolled back significantly without a filibuster.

The budget blueprint passed gave Republicans a Jan. 27 deadline for the repeal of the law, which provides health care to more than 20 million Americans but has seen premiums rise and insurers leave some of its marketplaces.

The vote's timing showed how eager Republicans are to repeal the law known as Obamacare now that they control the House, Senate and presidency. President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants to repeal the law and replace it with something new "essentially simultaneously."

"The Senate just took an important step toward repealing and replacing Obamacare by passing the resolution that provides the legislative tools necessary to actually repeal this failed law while we move ahead with smarter health care policies," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement following the vote.

During the vote on the actual budget blueprint, Senate Democrats spoke one by one over Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, who banged his gavel repeatedly as Democrats used their votes to raise objections to a repeal.

The vote on the budget blueprint followed a marathon process known as a "vote-a-rama."

Senate Democrats forced votes on a number of amendments to the resolution dealing with specific provisions of the health care law such as pre-existing conditions and health care for women. Making Republicans vote "no" on these amendments gave Democrats some much-needed ammo for future campaign ads.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, for example, offered an impassioned defense of the ACA provision that protects women's services.

"If you love women and you love your mothers and daughters and wives, please do not unwind the Affordable Care Act," she said. "We need women's health protected. And that's what this amendment does."

This story will be updated.