Patterico's Pontifications

6/27/2017

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Delays Vote Until After July 4 Recess

Filed under: General — Dana @ 12:02 pm



[guest post by Dana]

Apparently not enough votes to push forward the Senate health-care bill in its current form:

Facing intransigent Republican opposition, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, has told senators he will delay a vote on his legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, dealing President Trump an embarrassing setback on a key part of his agenda.

Republican leaders had hoped to take a page from the playbook used to get a bill over the line in the House, appeasing the most conservative members of their conference while pressuring moderates to fall in line with fewer concessions.

But as opposition mounted in both camps, even against a vote just to take up the bill, Mr. McConnell decided he would delay consideration until after the Senate’s weeklong July 4 recess.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) believes that there are more than just five Republican senators opposed to the current legislation. [The five being Dean Heller, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson, Susan Collins.]

Surprisingly, Sen. Ted Cruz has not revealed his hand:

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was among those Republicans who shared concerns in weekend calls with Trump.

“We continue to make progress,” Cruz told reporters Monday, as Democrats, who oppose the bill, planned an almost-all-night protest session.

Cruz is part of the gang of four conservatives — including Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky — who have said they cannot vote for the bill as is. Among the changes being pursued is one provision that would allow insurers to offer cheaper policies that do not meet ACA’s requirements and another to let consumers sock more money into health savings accounts

“We can get there and I’m hopeful we will get there,” Cruz said. However, he declined to say whether he would agree to Wednesday’s procedural vote.

Untitled

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

27 Responses to “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Delays Vote Until After July 4 Recess”

  1. The repeal that is not a repeal.

    Dana (023079)

  2. LOL @ Blog Owner.

    Blah (44eaa0)

  3. The Turtle turtled. With 7-plus years to prepare and plan.

    And now w/control of the House, Senate and WH, the GOP keeps demonstrating to the country and the world it is a party that cannot govern– but is endlessly entertaining.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZDkQYyeuSY

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  4. why should President Trump be embarrassed if Ted Cruz wants to keep obamacare?

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  5. This simply means he doesn’t have the votes for it. And I think he won’t get it. Too many Senators don’t like this bill. That doesn’t mean – and shouldn’t mean – they give up. They need to get dsome Democrats to break away AND maybe also get Senator Schumer to agree not to filibuater it, perhaps in exchange for some other legislation.

    Sammy Finkelman (b66da2)

  6. This is what happens when you have only 52 votes, and 5-6 are RINOs.

    It makes Susan Collins the voice of the Senate.

    But they have to protect her because they’ll otherwise lose the seat in Maine, and at least she votes for McConnell to be Majority Leader.

    And some are cowered by the idea that they’ll have campaign ads running against them for “cutting” medicaid, and throwing 22 million people off insurance rolls.

    Those aren’t facts, but too many GOP senators place re-election ahead of good policy.

    That’s why my sympathies are with Trump right now, and not the Congress.

    shipwreckedcrew (fb7ea4)

  7. President Trump wants the best of stuff for us

    slimy lobsterpot bimbo Susan Collins just wants to do sleazy Republican Main Street all up in it

    advantage: President Trump

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  8. Wasn’t it Susan Collins who let Obamacare get out of Committee?

    Blah (44eaa0)

  9. #3 And then when it passes they keep repeating the same version of stupid. Yikes, what blazing imbeciles.

    Blah (44eaa0)

  10. #3 Worse yet when Obama was in office he passed very little legislation but no one ever said “Democrats can’t govern” … even when they had super majorities Democrats had trouble passing anything. Took how many bribes to get Obolacare done?

    Blah (44eaa0)

  11. Invisible high risk pools?

    LOL, oh they Lawyers. What a hoot.

    Blah (44eaa0)

  12. Lots of demagogery on this issue, especially from Schumer.

    AZ Bob (f7a491)

  13. What’s it gonna be, Canadian Cruz??

    It seems everything’s gone wrong, since Canada came along…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaXsWQAI2j4

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  14. Olympia Snowe was the one.

    mg (31009b)

  15. Old Mitch and the senate had eight years to come up with a plausible plan, but Lassie ate the homework.
    Are you kidding me???

    mg (31009b)

  16. You won’t hear this from the establishment media but the Senate’s ObamaCare repeal bill contains massive tax relief for middle class families.

    First, the bill repeals a total of $700 billion dollars in ObamaCare taxes that raise the cost of care, restrict choice, and hurt economic growth.

    Second, the BCRA strengthens tax-preferred Health Savings Accounts, so that families are better able to save for health care expenses.

    Third, the bill allows states to implement health care systems that work for families in the real world. No longer will we have a one size fits all system dreamed up by bureaucrats in Washington and policed by the IRS.

    Fourth, the BCRA enacts long overdue entitlement reform that reins in out of control spending while ensuring the truly needy are protected.

    fortunately snotty know-it-all Ted Cruz is fighting to *keep* these taxes in place for eternity, so that your children and grandchildren can keep paying them long after you die

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  17. The Republicans are not going to bring the health care bill to the floor of the Senate for another couple of weeks.

    Sammy Finkelman (b66da2)

  18. “You’re going to have such great healthcare at a tiny fraction of the cost, and it is going to be so easy.” – Donald Trump, October 2016

    Wasn’t it Susan Collins who let Obamacare get out of Committee?

    Considering the Democrats had a 60-seat senate majority at the time, I’m gonna guess the answer is no.

    And indeed, the Democrats had a 13-10 majority on the committee in question, and Snowe voted for it, making the margin 14-9. So it would be a lie to say she “let it get out of committee”.

    Dave (711345)

  19. Olympia Snowe.

    mg (31009b)

  20. Snoweblind

    Colonel Haiku (607a84)

  21. Yes,one of the maple twins the problem is with rare exceptions like lepage, it’s turtles all the way down.

    narciso (eb2fed)

  22. Rand Paul came out of his meeting with Trump and said he thinks they will reach agreement. That is good news–I am a Rand Paulian when it comes to this issue.

    What will be, will be. But that sounds heartening.

    Patricia (5fc097)

  23. There is abig element of trying to square the circle here. I think it can be solved but it requires big changes, whose ffects cannot be estiated by the CBO, and the input of more money, which can not be entirely done through tax credits. Changes in Social Security also, like allowing some anticipated Social Security payments to borrowed and put into an HSA.

    Sammy Finkelman (03c829)

  24. 6. shipwreckedcrew (fb7ea4) — 6/27/2017 @ 12:59 pm

    This is what happens when you have only 52 votes, and 5-6 are RINOs.

    By that definition, so is the president:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/30/us/politics/trump-health-law-affordable-care-act.html

    Trump is very much like amodertate Republican Senator on this issue. He has set the condition: nobody loses.

    The Dems have been accvusing the Republicans of wanting toi cut taxes in order to cut benefits. So it looks like theert won;t be a repeal of any or many taxes in this go-round The money might be sued to fuind opiod treatment (which muight be characetrized as temporary)

    It’s really simple: You need fully funded high risk pools. There are a lot of things that could be done to improve the bill – some things paid outright nesides high risk.

    And really Medicaid should be abolished. if it is ot safe to do so, then the people just above Medicaid are not in good shape.

    And people need to be given money to pay for nursing care outsid eof nursing homes. And need to have control of the medical record, and no billing surprises.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)


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