Republicans' next attempt at killing Obamacare won't come until next year

Republicans' next attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare will likely be pushed well into 2018, an election year.

The reason for the delay is both political and procedural with the GOP pivoting to tax reform, another major legislative priority. House Republicans are already saying that the process for considering a repeal again needs to change after the Senate failed multiple times to pass legislation.

Congress is expected to take up a fiscal 2018 budget resolution next week that would give Republicans the power to pass tax reform with only 51 votes in the Senate, bypassing the need for 60 to break a filibuster. This process, known as "reconciliation," is incumbent on such things as how the bill would reduce the deficit and on what the bill would set its focus. Any reconciliation bill must focus on spending and budget issues, constraining what can be included.

Republicans tried to use reconciliation to kill Obamacare, but the budget authority to use it expires Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. All Senate Democrats have opposed efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, making the use of reconciliation the only way Republicans can repeal the law.

Republicans don't appear to be planning on adding an Obamacare repeal to the budget resolution for fiscal 2018. A source familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner that the budget would be "tax reform specific."