Senate Republicans consider keeping parts of Obamacare they once promised to kill https://t.co/2aC6YgT5xp
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 9, 2017
Don't believe it. This is how they're trying to soften the resistance. We have two to three weeks to turn this around. Get busy. https://t.co/5cRY54xzha
— Al Giordano (@AlGiordano) June 9, 2017
…Senate GOP leadership told rank-and-file Republican senators during private talks this week that they favor keeping guaranteed protections for people with preexisting medical conditions — a departure from the House approach of allowing states to opt out of a regulation ensuring such individuals are not charged more for coverage.
Senate Republicans have also been mulling options to more slowly roll back the expansion of Medicaid that most states accepted under Obamacare, and they are also openly talking about keeping many of the taxes the law imposed. The goal is to find a sweet spot of at least 50 votes in a sharply divided group of 52 Republican senators, many of whom are from states where coverage levels increased under President Barack Obama’s signature health-care law.
But Senate GOP leaders run the risk of alienating an influential trio of conservative senators — Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) — who previously demanded that the party follow through on promises to completely gut the law…
Even some less aggressive critics of the law are uncomfortable with bluntly describing what the talks have largely become: a negotiation about how much of Obamacare to leave in place and for how long…
GOP is writing the bill now, in close touch with CBO. Their goal: send it to CBO for official score between now and Tue, unseen by public 3/
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) June 8, 2017
NO hearings w/ experts & affected witnesses, NO committee markups, NO consultation with Dems, NO town halls or public forums—undemocratic 7/
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) June 8, 2017
Unlike the House vote, where most people only noticed the onrushing train in the final 48 hours, we have 3 weeks to make this toxic. 10/
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) June 8, 2017
When you call a Senate office, ask to speak to the relevant Health Legislative Assistant. Hey look, a list of staffer names! 18/ pic.twitter.com/UQ0yZNaSxc
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) June 8, 2017
Bonus: worked w/ @IsTrumpCareDead tonight to set up this online directory of GOP health staffers: https://t.co/EgEa2Xw2ip plz flag errors!
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) June 9, 2017
If Republicans go with a Medicaid "glide path" through 2027, they set up Medicaid funding to be a dominant issue in the next *six* elections
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) June 8, 2017
Sense after hours of GOP meetings on healthcare: optimism after presentation from leaders, no real bill outline yet, urgency to vote soon
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) June 6, 2017
If you have an urgency but just can't go, maybe it's time to see your doctor. Unless it's a preexisting condition. In which case, good luck.
— Philip Koplin (@pkkp42) June 6, 2017
Friday Morning Open Thread: Once More Unto the Healthcare BreachPost + Comments (136)