Where The Rest Of The Senators Stand
Apart from the four lawmakers that came out immediately against the plan, here's a look at what the other 96 are thinking.
The Washington Post:
Senate Health-Care Bill – Which Senators Are Opposed
As of Thursday afternoon, nine GOP senators have indicated they oppose or have concerns with the bill. If three vote against it, the bill would fail. (Phillips, Fischer-Baum, Schual and Uhrmacher, 6/22)
The New York Times:
Where Senators Stand On The Health Care Bill
Every Democrat is expected to oppose the bill, which means three Republican “no” votes would block it. Here is where every senator stands so far. (Parlapiano and Benzaquen, 6/22)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Tough Math For The Senate GOP Health Plan
The Senate GOP health-care bill is facing intense scrutiny from several of the majority party's own members. One faction consists of centrist Republicans, many of whom hail from states that have seen a growing share of residents with health insurance. (Rust and Shin, 6/22)
The Hill:
Rocky Rollout For Senate Healthcare Bill
Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), the most vulnerable Republican senator facing reelection next year, said he has “serious concerns about the bill’s impact on the Nevadans who depend on Medicaid. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), another centrist, criticized the bill’s effort to rein in Medicare costs starting in 2025 by imposing indexing it to a lower inflation measure than what House Republicans used in their bill. “It is lower than the cost of medical inflation and would translate into literally billions of dollars of cuts and that would mean states would be faced with very unpalatable cases of restricting eligibility or allowing rural hospitals to go under," she said in a statement. (Bolton, 6/22)
KCUR:
Missouri’s Senators Stand Poles Apart On Senate Health Care Bill
When it comes to the “discussion draft” to replace Obamacare that U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled Thursday, Missouri’s two senators could not be farther apart. Republican Sen. Roy Blunt praised the measure, claiming it would address the “disaster” that is Obamacare, the name by which the Affordable Care Act is commonly known. Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill blasted the bill, saying it’s “exactly what you’d expect when the future of health care gets negotiated in a secret backroom deal. You get a bill that hikes costs for working families, strips protections from Missourians who’ve been sick before, and slices critical resources for rural health care and anti-opioid efforts.” (Margolies, 6/22)
Des Moines Register:
Grassley, Ernst Show Receptiveness To Health Bill
Iowa's two U.S. senators didn't immediately commit themselves Thursday to their party's newly unveiled plan to scale back Obamacare, but they both voiced support for the need to make major changes to the nation's health care system. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both Republicans, said they would withhold judgment on the health reform bill until they’ve studied the document, which Republican colleagues wrote behind closed doors. (Leys, 6/22)
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Kasich, Portman Decline To Endorse GOP Health Care Bill
Ohio's top-ranking Republicans declined Thursday to endorse Senate Republicans' bill to replace Obamacare, saying they had "concerns" about a plan to phase out Medicaid expansion. Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Rob Portman both support the expansion of Medicaid to low-income, childless adults in Ohio. (Thompson, 6/22)
Arizona Republic:
John McCain And Jeff Flake Are Now On The Health-Care Hot Seat
All Arizona eyes turn now to Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake. Will they or won’t they go along with the Senate’s plan to make America’s health-care system great again? (Roberts, 6/22)
Meanwhile, over in the House —
CQ Roll Call:
House Conservatives Watch For Senate Health Draft
House conservatives are keeping a close watch on how Senate GOP leaders plan to change a bill intended to become the first major health law of the Trump administration. While waiting for Thursday’s unveiling of the Senate's draft, conservatives raised concerns about concessions expected to be made to moderates in that chamber. “It’s moved to the left. We expected some of that,” Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, told CQ Roll Call on Wednesday evening. “It’s just a question of how far it’s moved to the left.” (Young, 6/22)
NPR:
Rep. Carter Says He'll Consider Senate's Revisions To Health Care Plan
The Senate is about to release its plan to overhaul health care. Steve Inskeep talks to Republican Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia about how the bill might be different from the House version. (Inskeep, 6/22)
