Washington (CNN)Senate Republicans launched their effort to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare law early Thursday morning, approving a budget blueprint that they've dubbed the Obamacare "repeal resolution."
The Senate voted 51-48 along party lines for the measure, which relies on the same budget process used seven years ago to approve the landmark healthcare law to now attempt to dismantle it.
"This resolution will set the stage for true legislative relief from Obamacare that Americans have long demanded while ensuring a stable transition," Senate Budget Chairman Mike Enzi of Wyoming said, just after 1 a.m. "The Obamacare bridge is collapsing and we're sending in a rescue team."
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, one of the most vocal GOP opponents of voting on a repeal bill before coming up with a replacement package, voted against the budget resolution and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was absent.
Senators were bleary-eyed as they walked quickly to the exits, wrapping up the final vote a little before 1:30 a.m.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the top Democrat who led the late-night fight against a repeal, said the protest could be a sign of things to come as the fight stretches on.
"I think it's important for this country to know this was not a usual thing, this is a day which lays the groundwork for 30 million people to be thrown off their health insurance," Sanders said. "And if that happens, many of these people will die."
"We wanted to say no matter how late, we're going to stay and fight and represent our constituents -- there are so many constituencies who will be hurt by this repeal without a replace," said New York Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Democratic senators registered a somewhat subtle, but significant protest in the Senate as they cast their votes -- declaring why they were voting against the repeal, a rare move that rankled Republicans in the chamber.
The House is expected take a swift vote on the resolution, possibly as early as Friday, which will trigger congressional committees to begin crafting a second bill that would roll back major parts of Obamacare. Though it will be weeks before Congress votes on that bill, Thursday still marked a victory for the Republican Party as it moves toward overhauling the country's healthcare system.
"Vote-a-rama"
Before Thursday's vote, a political spectacle known as "vote-a-rama" unfolded on the Senate floor.
The largely symbolic exercise -- which began Wednesday evening and stretched into wee hours of Thursday -- was ripe for theater. However, the tone was largely subdued, missing some of the fire of voting marathons in previous years.
Democrats still used the late-night drill to publicly defend the Affordable Care Act and chastise their colleagues across the aisle for starting the process of overhauling a law that gives health insurance to some 20 million Americans. Republicans, meanwhile, stressed the harmful impact of the law and the urgent need to do away with it.
Senators introduced more than 160 amendments to the budget resolution, which led to a marathon session of impassioned speeches and roll call votes. Although these votes were non-binding and the budget resolution doesn't require the president's signature, the process helped crystallize the Democratic Party's top priorities as it looks to defend the major pillars of Obamacare.
The most important amendments for Democrats were aimed at preserving what they argue are popular provisions of Obamacare.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin pressed a measure to allow young adults to stay on their parents insurance until age 26. "It will block Republican efforts that would weaken dependent coverage," Baldwin said in a brief but forceful floor speech before the vote.
But Republicans -- many of whom have expressed interest in maintaining the provision when they eventually replace Obamacare -- nevertheless blocked the Baldwin amendment, arguing it wasn't applicable to the underlying budget resolution.
Democrats also sought to protect measures dealing with pre-existing conditions and reproductive healthcare services for women.
Divided but some common ground
At times, the evening also showed that Republicans and Democrats share some common goals -- even if the two political parties are bitterly divided on the merits of Obamacare.
No matter what happens to Obamacare, Manchin said: "We are going to make sure that we protect our rural hospitals and rural clinics."
But on the same topic, Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming argued that it was because of Obamacare that rural hospitals have shuttered.
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