{"id":43799,"date":"2017-09-20T06:53:08","date_gmt":"2017-09-20T06:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=43799"},"modified":"2017-09-20T06:59:46","modified_gmt":"2017-09-20T06:59:46","slug":"senators-scrap-bipartisan-effort-to-stabilize-obamacare-markets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/news\/senators-scrap-bipartisan-effort-to-stabilize-obamacare-markets.html","title":{"rendered":"Senators Scrap Bipartisan Effort to Stabilize Obamacare Markets"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Lamar Alexander pulled the plug Tuesday on his push for a bipartisan bill to stabilize the individual health insurance market, saying he and a key Democrat had been unable to reach a deal that could pass.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, said he and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington \u201chad hoped to agree early this week on a limited, bipartisan plan to stabilize 2018 premiums in the individual health insurance market that we could take to Senate leaders by the end of the month.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the last month, we have worked hard and in good faith, but have not found the necessary consensus among Republicans and Democrats to put a bill in the Senate leaders\u2019 hands that could be enacted,\u201d said Alexander, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.<\/span><\/p>\n

Murray placed the blame squarely on Republican leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We identified significant common ground and I made some tough concessions to move in Chairman Alexander\u2019s direction when it comes to giving states more flexibility,” said Murray, the committee\u2019s top Democrat. “I am disappointed that Republican leaders have decided to freeze this bipartisan approach and are trying to jam through a partisan Trumpcare bill, but I am confident that we can reach a deal if we keep working together \u2014 and I am committed to getting that done.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander indicated he is open to supporting a separate bill by Republican senators to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.<\/span><\/p>\n

That bill \u2014 introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Dean Heller, R-Nev. \u2014 would keep much of the Obamacare tax structure in place but give the money to states in the form of block grants to decide what health care system to use. It would also end the Obamacare expansion of Medicaid eligibility in 2020 and replace it with per capita block grants to states to address the needs of low-income residents.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I would like to vote for Graham-Cassidy because I like block grants and it appears to be good for Tennessee,\u201d Alexander said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander and Murray began working for a bipartisan, short-term fix after the collapse in July of the GOP\u2019s efforts to repeal Obamacare.<\/span><\/p>\n

The panel held four hearings over the past two weeks in which state insurance regulators, governors, insurers, health care advocates and other experts called for giving states more flexibility to design and regulate insurance plans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander’s announcement came on the same day that Vice President Pence trekked to the Capitol to give a pep talk to GOP senators about the need to pass the Graham-Cassidy bill even as a bipartisan group of governors asked Senate leaders not to consider it.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a letter to Senate leadership, the governors pushed for a focus on a bipartisan approach instead, though Alexander’s announcement leaves the Senate without anyone leading a bipartisan effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the list of governors was Alaska\u2019s Bill Walker, an independent, who had been lobbied by the Trump administration to support the bill because Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski is undecided and is a critical vote to get the legislation through.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs you continue to consider changes to the American health care system, we ask you not to consider the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson amendment and renew support for bipartisan efforts to make health care more available and affordable for all Americans,\u201d the 10 governors urged in a letter addressed to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schumer and the entire Democratic caucus are against any efforts to repeal President Obama\u2019s signature health care law.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, McConnell is supportive of the Graham-Cassidy effort to get legislation passed before an end-of-September deadline.<\/span><\/p>\n

Republicans have been trying to repeal Obamacare under special procedures that would allow them to pass a bill with 50 votes instead of the normal 60-vote threshold that is required to prevent a filibuster. There are 52 Republicans in the Senate, so they can lose only two votes before the bill dies.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to Walker, the governors of both Louisiana and Nevada \u2014 represented by Cassidy and Heller \u2014 signed the letter asking for a bipartisan solution. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is a Republican, while Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is a Democrat.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Nevada wins under Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson because it would be receiving more federal funding under this proposal and increased flexibility to help make sure people have access to quality care,” Heller said Tuesday following the news that Sandoval was against the legislation.<\/span><\/p>\n

GOP leaders believe they are close to getting the 50 senators needed to pass the legislation. A previous effort to repeal Obamacare failed in July by one vote.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never felt better about where we\u2019re at,\u201d Graham told reporters Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

“This is the last best chance for putting ourselves back on a path where states get greater control and we start improving our health care system,” Johnson said.<\/span><\/p>\n

While supportive of the legislation, McConnell declined to say Tuesday whether he was committed to bringing the bill to the floor for a vote.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we were going to go forward, we would have to act before Sept. 30,\u201d McConnell said. \u201cWe\u2019re in the process of discussing all of this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The three senators who voted against the repeal bill in July \u2014 Murkowski and Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine \u2014 remain undecided about the current draft. Conservative Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has come out against it outright because he does not believe it goes far enough to repeal the Obamacare taxes and mandates.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the Senate can pass the bill, the House will not have a chance to amend it. But Graham said Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has assured him that will not be a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Paul Ryan told me to my face, if you pass it, we pass it,” Graham told reporters Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2017\/09\/19\/senate-graham-cassidy-obamacare-alexander-murray\/681782001\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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