<p style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8013px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many may remember the classic song “I’m Just a Bill” from </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;">Schoolhouse Rock!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;">; it’s one of my favorites. It does a great job of explaining the legislative process. But if I were the writer of that catchy tune I would amend the chorus slightly:</span> </p> <p dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8013px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p> <blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8013px; font-weight: normal;"> <p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12.8013px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I’m just a bill. Yes I’m only a bill,</span> </p> <p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12.8013px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I was rushed into Capitol Hill.</span> </p> <p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12.8013px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, now I’m back in committee</span> </p> <p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12.8013px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span id="docs-internal-guid-b65c627a-7b65-0787-9d59-f5cee8f83457" style="font-size: 12.8013px; font-weight: normal;"></span> </p> <p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 12.8013px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because Congress violated some rules trying to claim a victory.”</span> </p> </blockquote> <p style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8013px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </p> <p style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8013px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s hardly a surprise that the leading party would try to rush a bill into law—both parties do it. This process cost Congress some time in their efforts to pass the </span><a href="https://votesmart.org/bill/24168/62174/" rel="noopener" style="font-size: 12.8013px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-line: underline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tax Cuts and Jobs Act</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; white-space: pre-wrap;">. After the bill was debated in committee it passed for a second time in the House, but violated some budget rules and was edited and sent back for another final vote on December 20th. With this process, it’s easy to get confused about where the bill stands and what provisions remain. So I’m sure you have questions.</span> </p>

<span id="docs-internal-guid-1745e15d-849a-3c90-8554-17f40f81763a"> <div> <p dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8013px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">On July 25, your social media feed was likely filled with victory cries from those seeking to repeal and replace the </span><a href="http://votesmart.org/bill/10637" style="font-size: 12.8013px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: underline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Affordable Care Act</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (ACA) with the still-evolving Senate version of the </span><a href="http://votesmart.org/bill/22765" style="font-size: 12.8013px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: underline; white-space: pre-wrap;">American Health Care Act</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (AHCA). Opponents also took to social media with messages of defeat. However, the debate is anything but finished.</span> </p> <br style="font-size: 12.8013px;"> <p dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8013px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">So what’s actually going on with the Senate healthcare bill? Is the Affordable Care Act repealed? And, what is the Senate voting on?</span> </p> <p dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8013px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, it’s tricky, so bear with me—I’m not even sure if someone currently voting in the capitol can easily explain where the debate stands. I’ll simplify the issue and provide a brief timeline of how we got to where we are today.</span> </p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <br> </span> </div> </span>