The House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee approved a rollback of Obamacare on Thursday

(WASHINGTON, DC) Republicans cleared the first hurdle early on Thursday in their plan for a massive overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system backed by President Donald Trump, despite Democratic concern that the cost of the bill and its impact on the budget remain unknown.

The House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee approved the bill along party lines on Thursday morning after debating the draft legislation for nearly 18 hours.

The chamber’s Energy and Commerce committee continued its own marathon session, two days after it was unveiled by Republican leaders.

“This is an historic step, an important step in the repeal of Obamacare,” said Republican Representative Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, after the committee voted 23-16 on the measure.

The bill would roll back the individual mandate for people to buy insurance, reverse most Obamacare taxes, introduce a new, smaller system of tax credits based on age rather than income, and overhaul Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor.

Reuters copy, TRUNEWS analysis