Washington - A Republican drive to repeal the year-old health care law ended in party-line defeat in the US Senate on Wednesday, leaving the Supreme Court to render a final, unpredictable verdict on an issue steeped in political and constitutional controversy.
The vote was 47-51, no surprise in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Republicans had conceded in advance their attempt at total repeal of the massive overhaul of the US health care system would fall short.
They said, however, that they had accomplished an objective of forcing rank-and-file Democrats to take a public position on an issue that reverberated in the 2010 presidential campaign and may play a role in 2012.
Moments before the vote, the Senate had agreed to make one relatively minor change in the law, voting to strip out a paperwork requirement for businesses. President Barack Obama, who has vowed to veto any total repeal of his signature legislative accomplishment, has said he would accept that change. It does not directly affect health care.
Democrats worked to minimise any political repercussions, a concern for a party already acutely aware it must defend next year 23 of its 53 seats in the 100-seat Senate.
The law passed a year ago with the support of 58 Democrats and two independents aligned with them. All 40 Republicans voted against it. Democratic ranks have been thinned since then, and now constitute the thinned 53-47 majority. - Sapa-AP