The U.S. Senate on Wednesday failed to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the centerpiece of President Obama's healthcare reform program.
The repeal measure, identical to the repeal bill passed by the House of Representatives last month, was introduced by Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The measure required 60 votes to pass; it received 47, with 51 senators voting against it.
In a statement, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) praised Senate Republicans for their effort.
"The need for repeal continues to become more clear, whether it's in the courts or the court of public opinion," he said. "We will keep our word to the American people and continue working to repeal this job-destroying healthcare law and replace it with common-sense reforms that lower costs and increase access without putting more Americans out of work."
Also on Wednesday, the Senate voted 81 to 17 to approve an amendment to repeal the so-called "1099 provision," which requires American businesses to file a form with the Internal Revenue Service for every vendor with which they conduct transactions worth $600 or more.
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