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'It is a fraud': senior Republican senators blast 'skinny repeal' health bill Republicans back 'skinny repeal' after guarantee it will not become law
(about 3 hours later)
Republican efforts to pass a bill to partially repeal Obamacare hit trouble on Thursday evening as senior party figures denounced their so-called “skinny repeal” as both a fraud and a disaster. Republican efforts to pass a bill to partially repeal Obamacare looked stronger on Thursday night as senior party figures announced they would vote for a so-called “skinny repeal” despite labelling it a “fraud” and a “disaster”.
Republicans had been hoping to pass a partial repeal of some elements of Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA), but senators were wavering, fearful that the bill might actually become law.Republicans had been hoping to pass a partial repeal of some elements of Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA), but senators were wavering, fearful that the bill might actually become law.
Senate leadership has touted the skinny bill as a mechanism to force a conference committee with the House, taking time to hash out a compromise. However, as rumblings grew that the House might simply put the bill to a swift up and down vote, many Republicans began to hesitate about the legislation. Senate leadership has touted the “skinny” bill as a mechanism to force a conference committee with the House, taking time to hash out a compromise. As rumblings grew that the House might simply put the bill to a swift up and down vote, many Republicans began to hesitate about the legislation.
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters in a press conference with three other senators: “The skinny bill as policy is disaster, as a replacement for Obamacare, it is a fraud.” Instead, Graham insisted simply that “it is a vehicle to get to conference”. However, after a late night conference call with House speaker Paul Ryan, two of the most sceptical Republicans, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, announced they would vote for the bill, having guaranteed that it would not become law.
The South Carolina Republican, along with John McCain of Arizona, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, pledged that they would not vote for skinny repeal unless they received an ironclad guarantee from the House speaker, Paul Ryan, that there would be a conference committee. AshLee Strong, a spokesperson for Ryan, “The speaker told senators exactly what his statement said: that we’ll go to conference if they pass something tonight. And then the onus is on the Senate to show it can pass a real plan with 51 votes.”
Shortly after that call, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell finally unveiled the bill on the floor of the Senate, which he dubbed “the health care freedom act”.
Only hours earlier, Graham told reporters in a press conference with three other senators: “The skinny bill as policy is disaster, as a replacement for Obamacare, it is a fraud.” Instead, Graham insisted simply that “it is a vehicle to get to conference”.
The South Carolina Republican, along with Johnson as well as John McCain of Arizona and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, pledged that they would not vote for skinny repeal unless they received an ironclad guarantee from Ryan that there would be a conference committee.
When asked what that guarantee would consist of, Graham told reporters: “It’s like pornography – I’ll know it when I see it.”When asked what that guarantee would consist of, Graham told reporters: “It’s like pornography – I’ll know it when I see it.”
The anxious press conference came only hours after John Cornyn, the No 2 Republican in the Senate, told reporters: “My understanding is that the speaker has said that they’re preparing for a conference.” In a statement shortly after the press conference, Ryan left room to manoeuvre on what next steps would be if the Senate passed the bill.
“Senators have made clear that this is an effort to keep the process alive, not to make law. If moving forward requires a conference committee, that is something the House is willing to do,” Ryan said in a statement. “The reality, however, is that repealing and replacing Obamacare still ultimately requires the Senate to produce 51 votes for an actual plan . . . Until the Senate can do that, we will never be able to develop a conference report that becomes law.
Cassidy accepted that statement while Graham and Johnson needed the conference call. However, McCain described it to reporters as “not sufficient” and would not respond to further questions on the topic.
ohn Cornyn, the No 2 Republican in the Senate, said earlier: “My understanding is that the speaker has said that they’re preparing for a conference.”
But he admitted that he had not received that formal assurance and added that the prospect of the House simply passing the Senate bill did not trouble him.But he admitted that he had not received that formal assurance and added that the prospect of the House simply passing the Senate bill did not trouble him.
In a statement Thursday night, Speaker Paul Ryan left room to maneuver on what next steps would be if the Senate passed the bill. ”
“Senators have made clear that this is an effort to keep the process alive, not to make law. If moving forward requires a conference committee, that is something the House is willing to do,” Ryan said in an ambiguous statement. “The reality, however, is that repealing and replacing Obamacare still ultimately requires the Senate to produce 51 votes for an actual plan . . . Until the Senate can do that, we will never be able to develop a conference report that becomes law.”
On the House side, moderates were open to simply passing the Senate bill unamended. Chris Collins, a moderate Trump ally from upstate New York, compared the choice on skinny repeal to the 2016 election. “This becomes not unlike Trump and Clinton: there was not a third candidate. There wasn’t going to be another choice. It was a binary choice. People voted. This would be a similar type of situation.”
At the same time, House leadership told members to “be flexible” on their travel plans. The House was scheduled to begin its August recess on Friday but now may remain for votes, raising concerns among senators anxious for a conference committee.
However, Mark Meadows, the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which helped derail an earlier version of the House bill, insisted that the “skinny repeal” did not have enough support to pass.
On Thursday evening, the congressman again expressed confidence that House Republicans would not pass a pared-down repeal of the Affordable Care Act – even under pressure from the White House.
“If it comes over with just minimal elements of a replacement, there is not enough votes to send it to the president,” Meadows said, adding that leadership in both chambers understood this.
Instead of passing a placeholder and hammering out the finer points in a conference committee, Meadows urged Senate Republicans to return to the negotiating table until they had a plan that could be passed by the House and sent directly to the president.
In the past two days, the Senate has rejected both the ACA repeal plan introduced by Senate leadership as well as an almost total repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which it had passed in 2015 before a veto from Barack Obama.In the past two days, the Senate has rejected both the ACA repeal plan introduced by Senate leadership as well as an almost total repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which it had passed in 2015 before a veto from Barack Obama.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether Trump would sign a “skinny repeal” bill if presented to him.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether Trump would sign a “skinny repeal” bill if presented to him.