{"id":32709,"date":"2017-06-21T04:30:49","date_gmt":"2017-06-21T04:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=32709"},"modified":"2017-06-21T04:30:49","modified_gmt":"2017-06-21T04:30:49","slug":"gop-hits-the-gas-on-obamacare-repeal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/news\/gop-hits-the-gas-on-obamacare-repeal.html","title":{"rendered":"GOP hits the gas on ObamaCare repeal"},"content":{"rendered":"

GOP hits the gas on ObamaCare repeal<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

GOP hits the gas on ObamaCare repeal:- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday formally set an ambitious schedule for his conference to repeal and replace ObamaCare, promising his members will get draft legislation on Thursday with a floor vote next week.<\/span><\/p>\n

McConnell says Republicans, who have held multiple meetings about healthcare reform every week since early May, have debated the issue long enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI expect to have a discussion draft on Thursday and we will go to the bill obviously once we get a CBO score, likely next week,\u201d McConnell told reporters, referring to a cost projection and analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.<\/span><\/p>\n

In putting his foot on the gas pedal, McConnell is pressuring centrists and conservatives alike to rally around ObamaCare repeal, a top priority for President Trump that congressional Republicans have been promising to deliver for years.<\/span>
\nMcConnell seems to have some momentum, though he can only afford two defections and lawmakers across his conference are nervous about the vote.<\/span><\/p>\n

One source familiar with the private deliberations of moderate Republicans agonizing over whether to support the bill said the legislation hasn\u2019t improved over the past two weeks of talks and, if anything, has gotten somewhat worse.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conservatives are also disgruntled, according to a source familiar with internal deliberations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have insisted on including language that would exempt states from the ObamaCare regulation that requires insurance companies to sell affordable plans to people with pre-existing medical conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

McConnell has so far refused to put language in the bill that would eliminate the so-called community rating regulatory requirement that conservatives say has caused insurance premiums to soar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of letting up in the face of complaints, McConnell is effectively daring his Republican colleagues to derail legislation they have promised to pass since 2010, when Congress first passed ObamaCare.<\/span><\/p>\n

One centrist Republican senator said McConnell is forcing the conference to vote on the legislation before many lawmakers feel comfortable doing so. But at the same time, the source acknowledged that McConnell has warned his conference \u201cfor months\u201d to expect a vote before July 4.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the leader says something, he likes to stick to it,\u201d said the senator.<\/span><\/p>\n

McConnell on Tuesday waved aside concerns from Republican and Democratic colleagues alike that he is ramming the legislation through the Senate before there\u2019s time for adequate review.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said fellow senators \u201cwill have plenty of time\u201d to study the bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been discussing all the elements of this endlessly for seven years. Everybody pretty well understands them. Everybody will have an adequate time to take a look at it. I think this will be about as transparent as it could be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Democrats have sought to slow progress on the bill but in reality have little power to throw McConnell off his game. The legislation is moving under special budget rules that prevent a filibuster and will limit floor debate to 20 hours.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think our most effective strategy is to highlight the process and the extremely peculiar nature of it, and then let public pressure on the few Republican senators who are going to make the difference begin to work,\u201d Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) told The Hill.<\/span><\/p>\n

McConnell has also heard complaints from his own members about the healthcare process. There have been no hearings on the GOP effort, and key meetings have all been behind closed doors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) complained that he hadn\u2019t met an American who had yet seen the Senate Republican bill, speculating ironically that probably \u201cthe Russians have been able to hack in and gotten most of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a centrist who is undecided on whether to vote for the legislation, said, \u201cI would like a more open process, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

None of the Republicans airing process grievances has said that they will vote against the bill, however, giving the complaints a more theatrical than threatening appearance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Republicans must wait for the CBO\u2019s score before they can proceed.<\/span><\/p>\n

McConnell will first bring the House-passed American Health Care Act, which has already been reviewed and scored by the Senate parliamentarian, to the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Senate version will be offered as an amendment, and lawmakers will need to have a score before taking it up, a GOP aide explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

Senate Republicans initially projected that it could take as long as two weeks to get a CBO score, but they have sped up the process by submitting chunks of the bill to the agency for analysis while putting together the pieces of the package.<\/span><\/p>\n

McConnell is taking a gamble by putting the bill on the floor before knowing for sure he has enough votes.<\/span><\/p>\n

He stopped short of predicting victory, promising instead to make an all-out push.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to make every effort to pass a bill that dramatically changes the current healthcare law,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (Texas) sounded a more bullish tone earlier in the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

He predicted success even though the legislation has yet to be finalized.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my job to find 50 votes, and we\u2019re going to have 50 votes, because I think the alternative is going to be disaster for people who buy insurance on the individual market,\u201d he told reporters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0http:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/338700-gop-hits-the-gas-on-obamacare-repeal<\/span><\/p>\n

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