Doug Jones defeated Republican candidate Roy Moore Tuesday to become the first Democratic senator in Alabama since 1992, according to The Hill.
Mr. Moore, a former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, faced numerous sexual abuse and child molestation accusations in recent weeks, derailing his campaign and earning the scorn of many Congressional Republicans, though President Donald Trump continued to endorse him. Mr. Jones will narrow the already slim Republican majority in the Senate, which will now stand at 51 votes for the GOP to 49.
Here are two ways Mr. Jones' election could impact healthcare legislation.
1. Republican leaders have agreed to delay voting on their tax bill until Mr. Jones takes office. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., already voted against the tax bill, meaning Republicans now have only 50 votes in the Senate with Vice President Mike Pence acting as tiebreaker. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, now appears to be the swing vote for the tax bill, which includes a repeal of the individual insurance. Ms. Collins said she would vote for the bill only if Congress passed the Alexander-Murray bill and a reinsurance proposal, though no headway has been made on either measure.
2. Mr. Jones said he believes healthcare is a right for all Americans and has spoken out against high-deductible health plans. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he plans to target Medicaid and Medicare for funding cuts in 2018, and with one more Democratic vote in the Senate, passage of those cuts will be even more difficult than it might have been with 52 Republican votes.