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Senate Republicans forced to delay vote on healthcare bill due to lack of support Senate Republicans forced to delay vote on healthcare bill due to lack of support
(about 1 hour later)
The Republican party’s seven-year crusade to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was on the verge of collapse on Tuesday, as Senate leaders were forced to delay a vote on a healthcare bill that according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) would leave an estimated 22 million more people without health insurance by 2026. The Republican party’s seven-year crusade to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is on the verge of collapse, after Senate leaders were forced to delay a vote on a healthcare bill that according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) would leave an estimated 22 million more people without health insurance by 2026.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told Republicans in a closed-door meeting he would postpone the vote until after the Fourth of July recess, in hope of cajoling senators from the moderate and conservative wings of the party. Donald Trump invited Republican senators to the White House, to seek to map out a way forward. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told Republicans in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday he would postpone the vote until after the Fourth of July recess, in hope of cajoling senators from the moderate and conservative wings of the party. Donald Trump invited GOP senators to the White House, to seek to map out a way forward.
“We are going to continue the discussions within our conference on the differences that we have that we’ll continue to try to litigate,” McConnell told reporters. “Consequently, we will not be on the bill this week but we are still working toward getting at least 50 people in a comfortable place.”
McConnell flatly denied that a delay would further imperil the bill, despite concerns from some members of his caucus that Republicans will face pressure from constituents if they return home for a week-long break without a vote. The Kentucky Republican said the president was “anxious to help”.
Leaving a daily conference lunch, Marco Rubio said he hoped the White House was in “listening mode”.
“This is a very important issue – you’re dealing with people’s lives and their healthcare,” the Florida senator said. “I’d rather do it right than do it fast but obviously we can’t wait forever.”
A growing list of defections had imperiled the prospect of a vote to even begin debate on the Senate legislation, which would repeal and replace major components of the healthcare law signed by Barack Obama.A growing list of defections had imperiled the prospect of a vote to even begin debate on the Senate legislation, which would repeal and replace major components of the healthcare law signed by Barack Obama.
Several Republicans balked at a healthcare plan that also threatens coverage for maternity care, mental health and addiction. It would also impose a six-month waiting period on coverage for those who let their insurance lapse, a penalty designed to boost continuous coverage but which healthcare advocates warned could be fatal for people with acute conditions such as cancer or heart ailments. Several Republicans balked at a plan that also threatens coverage for maternity care, mental health and addiction and would impose a six-month waiting period on coverage for those who let their insurance lapse. That penalty was designed to boost continuous coverage but healthcare advocates warned it could be fatal for people with acute conditions such as cancer or heart ailments.
Two senators, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky, said on Monday they would oppose a procedural motion to begin consideration of the bill. Dean Heller, facing a tough re-election battle in Nevada in 2018, formally announced his opposition to the proposal in its current form last week, as did a handful of senators from the right flank of the party. The Senate plan would also phase out the state-by-state expansion of Medicaid, which has covered millions of low-income, disabled and mentally ill people.
Two senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, said on Monday they would oppose a procedural motion to begin consideration of the bill. Dean Heller, facing a tough re-election battle in Nevada in 2018, formally announced his opposition to the proposal in its current form last week, as did a handful of senators from the right flank of the party.
The highly anticipated CBO score, released on Monday, dealt a major blow, projecting that 15 million more people would be uninsured over the next year alone. That number would tick up to 19 million by 2020 and 22 million by 2026. The CBO had predicted that the healthcare plan passed by House Republicans last month would leave 23 million more uninsured over a 10-year period.The highly anticipated CBO score, released on Monday, dealt a major blow, projecting that 15 million more people would be uninsured over the next year alone. That number would tick up to 19 million by 2020 and 22 million by 2026. The CBO had predicted that the healthcare plan passed by House Republicans last month would leave 23 million more uninsured over a 10-year period.
The Senate plan would also unravel the ACA by phasing out the state-by-state expansion of Medicaid, which has covered millions of low-income, disabled and mentally ill people. Republicans, who hold the Senate 52-48, must find at least 50 votes to pass the bill, under a budget rules process known as “reconciliation” that would require only a simple majority. If the chamber were split 50-50, vice-president Mike Pence would cast the tie-breaking vote.
Republicans, who hold the Senate 52-48, must find at least 50 votes to pass the bill, under a budget rules process known as “reconciliation” that would require only a simple majority. If the chamber lost two Republicans, vice-president Mike Pence would be called upon to cast the tie-breaking vote. Some Republican senators had publicly urged party leaders to slow down and provide for adequate debate. Ron Johnson, from Wisconsin, told reporters on Tuesday he was encouraged by the decision to postpone.
Some Republican senators had publicly urged party leaders to slow down and provide for adequate debate. Ron Johnson, a senator from Wisconsin, told conservative radio show Hugh Hewitt in a heated exchange on Monday it was “wrong for [Senate leadership] to sell it afterwards”. “This is a difficult, difficult process,” Johnson said. “We have a broad spectrum of opinion.” He had heard from Trump by phone over the weekend, he said, adding: “I’m glad [the White House is] now engaged on this.”
Johnson told reporters on Tuesday he was encouraged by the decision to postpone the vote.”This is a difficult, difficult process,” Johnson said. “We have a broad spectrum of opinion.” He had heard from Trump by phone over the weekend, he said, adding: “I’m glad [the White House is] now engaged on this.” The Senate legislation would reduce the federal budget deficit by $321bn over a decade, largely due to its steep cuts to Medicaid, the CBO report found. But the analysis foresaw enrolment for people under 65 years old falling by 16% by 2026. Current projections show that under current law, 28 million Americans will be uninsured over the next decade. That number would rise to 49 million under the Senate proposal, the CBO said.
The CBO report exacerbated concerns, taking “anybody on the fence and probably made it harder for them to get to ‘yes’”, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham told ABC on Tuesday. “[It] confirmed my worst fears about the impact of the bill on coverage,” Collins told reporters on Tuesday.
The Senate legislation would reduce the federal budget deficit by $321bn over a decade, largely due to its steep cuts to Medicaid, the CBO report found. But the analysis foresaw enrolment for people under 65 years old falling by 16% by 2026. Current projections show that under current law, 28 million Americans will be uninsured over the next decade. That number would rise to 49 million under the Senate proposal. The Maine senator said she and Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, were working on an amendment to do away with a provision in the bill that would defund Planned Parenthood for one year. Collins said she and Murkowski “believe that it makes no sense to exclude Planned Parenthood funding” from the plan.
“[It] confirmed my worst fears about the impact of the bill on coverage,” Collins told reporters, reiterating her Monday statement that both parties should come together to improve the current healthcare law. Such a move would assuredly meet stiff resistance from most Republicans, who have voted nearly every year to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood even though law bars taxpayer dollars from being used for abortions.
Collins said she and Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska also seen as potential “no” vote, were working on an amendment to do away with a provision in the bill that would defund Planned Parenthood for one year. The women’s healthcare provider has long been a major target of Republicans, but Collins said she and Murkowski “believe that it makes no sense to exclude Planned Parenthood funding” from the plan. Trump has called for a bill that “involves heart”. But the president may have lost leverage with lawmakers by confirming that he indeed referred to the bill passed by the House in May as “mean”, despite holding a victory party in the White House Rose Garden hours after its passage.
Such a move would assuredly meet stiff resistance from most Republicans, who have voted nearly every year to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood even though the law bars taxpayer dollars from being used for abortions. Democrats have seized on the president’s characterization.
Trump has called for a bill that “involves heart”. But the president arguably lost critical leverage with lawmakers by confirming in recent days that he indeed referred to the legislation passed by the House in May as “mean”, despite holding a victory party in the White House Rose Garden hours after its passage. “If the House bill doesn’t have a heart, the Senate bill doesn’t have a soul,” Senator Joe Manchin, from West Virginia, said on Tuesday.
Democrats have seized on the president’s characterization to denounce the Republican plan and to rally public opposition. The Ohio governor John Kasich, a Republican, joined Colorado governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, in Washington to urge Senate Republicans to abandon the current proposal, which he called both “inadequate” and “unacceptable”.
“If the House bill doesn’t have a heart, the Senate bill doesn’t have a soul,” Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, said at a press conference on Tuesday. “We have a healthcare civil war going on,” Kasich said at the National Press Club. “It’s all about recriminations.”
Ohio governor John Kasich, a Republican, joined Colorado governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, in Washington on Tuesday to urge Senate Republicans to abandon the current proposal. Kasich called the Senate bill both “inadequate” and “unacceptable”. He implored Democrats to work with Republicans on a bill that would not be so devastating to Medicaid enrollees. Democrats have said they are willing to work on improving the ACA, but remain unified in their opposition to repealing it.
“We have a healthcare civil war going on,” Kasich said in a press conference at the National Press Club. “It’s all about recriminations.” The governors acknowledged the political pressure on Republicans to support the bill. America First Policies, a Super Pac backing Trump, announced a $1m ad campaign against Heller in Nevada.
He implored Democrats to come to the table and work with Republicans on a bill that would not be so devastating to Medicaid enrollees. Democrats have said they are willing to work with Republicans on improving the ACA, but remain unified and steadfast in their opposition to repealing it. Democrats nonetheless warned that the battle was far from over. “It’s not jubilation,” said Dick Durbin, the Senate minority whip, of the mood in the party. “It’s, frankly, relief.”
The governors acknowledged the political pressure on Republicans to support the bill. America First Policies, a super pac backing Trump, announced a $1m ad campaign against Heller in Nevada. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, urged his caucus and liberal groups to keep up the pressure.
Democrats nonetheless warned that while the battle had been temporarily postponed, it was far from over. “It’s not jubilation,” said Dick Durbin, the Senate minority whip, of the mood among Democrats. “It’s frankly relief.” “No matter how the bill changes around the edges, it is fundamentally flawed at the center,” he told reporters, adding that Democrats were open to working with Republicans on improving the ACA, under two conditions.
Richard Blumenthal, from Connecticut, told reporters anything was still possible. Republicans, he said, must abandon their effort to repeal the law entirely. Secondly, they must retreat from aiming to eliminate ACA taxes – a central plank of their overhaul plan.
The Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, told reporters anything was still possible.
“Our mantra is: ‘Do not underestimate Mitch McConnell.’”“Our mantra is: ‘Do not underestimate Mitch McConnell.’”
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