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Senate Republicans will be able to go ahead with legislation dismantling Obamacare under fast-track rules, according to a procedural ruling reached Tuesday — as long as the GOP makes some changes first. The Senate parliamentarian ruled Tuesday afternoon that some provisions of a GOP bill to repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood did not survive the so-called Byrd rule, which governs when the powerful procedural tool known as reconciliation can be used. But top GOP Senate aides also noted the parliamentarian ruled that the bill was "privileged," meaning it can avoid a filibuster. Republicans also maintained that the problem could be resolved relatively easily on the floor with a substitute amendment. (Kim, 11/10)

U.S. Democratic lawmakers are discussing proposing changes to the "Cadillac tax," a levy on high-cost employer-based healthcare plans passed as part of President Barack Obama's 2010 Affordable Care Act, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat said on Tuesday. "I'm not proposing eliminating it at this point, I'm open to suggestions for changing it," Illinois Senator Dick Durbin told reporters. (Cornwell, 11/10)