The repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the first step toward broader tax reform later this year. The Republican strategy is to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA) first as part of the final budget resolutions for fiscal year 2017.
The effective deadline for this legislation to be passed by both chambers of Congress is April 28, which is when the continuing spending resolution for the current fiscal year expires. However, as we discuss below, there is much less time available on the congressional calendar.
This is because Republicans have 237 seats in the House out of a total of 435, and "only" 218 votes are needed. We expect the AHCA to pass when Speaker Ryan brings the bill to the House floor on Thursday. While there is some concern that the Freedom Caucus, a group of roughly 40 House conservatives who have not endorsed the bill, may indeed block it, we believe this to be a low-probability event.
Reference: The Hill
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