What's next for the health bill
Path in the House
Monday: American Health Care Act introduced.
Thursday: House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees approved the legislation.
Next week: The measure heads to the House Budget Committee for consideration. The Congressional Budget Office estimate of how the bill will affect the federal deficit and the number of insured could be released by Monday.
Then: House Speaker Paul Ryan plans final vote this month.
path in the Senate
• Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, essentially promised to move the bill to the floor without the hearings and other processes that are normal for such a far-reaching piece of legislation. He had promised when Republicans took the majority that they would honor normal Senate processes. But the Senate will use a parliamentary procedure called reconciliation that requires only a simple majority for legislation to be approved.
• Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican, will be charged with getting the bill over the line in the Senate.
Margin of error
House: Leaders can afford to lose 21 Republican votes if no Democrats support the bill.
Senate: Leaders can afford to lose two Republican votes if no Democrats support the bill.
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