The U.S. Senate early Thursday morning approved a fiscal 2017 budget that sets up a timeline for a vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Senators voted 51 to 48 on the bill, which is expected to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday.
"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 healthcare policies," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement after the measure passed.
The budget will allow Republicans to pass any repeal and replacement of ACA with a simple majority vote, a procedural tool known as reconciliation.
According to reports, Sen. Rand Paul was the only Republican to oppose the budget over spending limits he felt were too high. Paul has been vocal about passing an ACA replacement at the same time as a repeal passes. President-elect Donald Trump has said he agrees with that timeline.
The budget gives lawmakers until Jan. 27 to craft the repeal and replacement legislation.
In his first press conference since winning the presidential election, Trump on Wednesday promised a quick replacement to the ACA.
"We're going to be submitting as soon as our secretary's approved," Trump said. "It will be repeal and replace, it will be essentially simultaneously, will be on same day. ... It's very complicated stuff, we're going to have a health bill passed."
While all Senate Democrats opposed the budget, several took the opportunity to protest while casting their "No" votes.
"I vote no on behalf of the more than 2.3 million Minnesotans who can no longer be discriminated against because of the ACA," said Sen. Al Franken while casting his vote.
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