Republican lawmakers could use a decades-old procedural maneuver, known as reconciliation, to bypass Democratic opposition and accelerate Donald Trump’s legislative initiatives. That could include cutting taxes, repealing parts of President Barrack Obama’s health care law, privatizing Medicare or turning Medicaid into a block grant to the states. All they would need is a simple majority vote in the Senate. CQ Magazine deputy editor Shawn Zeller, CQ Roll Call’s Senate leadership reporter Bridget Bowman and Managing Editor Adriel Bettelheim explain how it could take shape.

Show Notes:

• Pence: Obamacare Repeal Comes First for Trump
• Interest in Obamacare Coverage Surges With Arrival of Trump Era 

About 1/4 of GOPers – incl 20 Sens – represent states that expanded Medicaid. That complicates ACA repeal. Story: https://t.co/krMbtj85m8

— Erin Mershon (@eemershon) November 17, 2016

Most of the Republicans I talked to danced around the issue, emphasized the need for a transition to keep folks from losing coverage. https://t.co/h6uei3Xlep — Erin Mershon (@eemershon) November 17, 2016

#Obamacare is failing. We’ve got to #RepealAndReplace it with a law that actually works. pic.twitter.com/WE6Ij3cgrv

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) November 28, 2016

Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion divides Republican governors https://t.co/TUMD15foEJ pic.twitter.com/EmBeby10mu — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 27, 2016