GOP Will Go Back To Drawing Board On Repeal If This Week’s Vote Fails, Top Senator Promises
"It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when," said Senate GOP Conference chairman John Thune (R-S.D.). Media outlets also look at where other lawmakers stand on the issue.
Politico:
Thune: Senate Won’t Give Up On Obamacare Repeal If Bill Fails This Week
If the Senate’s latest Obamacare repeal efforts collapse this week, Republicans will “go back to the drawing board” and try again, Senate GOP Conference chairman John Thune said on Sunday. (Ehley, 7/23)
The Associated Press:
GOP’s Ted Cruz Says He Still Sees Path Ahead On Health Care
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz says he believes there is still a path to getting a health care bill passed, despite “a handful of holdouts.” Cruz told Fox News’ ”Fox & Friends” on Friday that “we’ve got to deliver now. There is a path to yes.” (7/21)
CQ Roll Call:
Cruz And Lee: The Best Friends Who Sometimes Quarrel
When Utah Republican Mike Lee announced on July 17 that he could not support the latest version of the Senate health care bill, he parted ways with Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican with whom he’d worked on an amendment to allow health insurers to offer bare-bones health plans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell worked out a deal with Cruz, winning his support, but Lee said he wasn’t satisfied with the language. (Zeller, 7/24)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Sen. Johnson Optimistic That Senate GOP Can Pass Health Care Reform
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said Friday he remains optimistic that Republicans will be able to pass health care reform legislation, arguing that leadership from President Donald Trump has kick-started the effort. ...Johnson also was one of the biggest advocates for delaying the vote in June, saying senators and their constituents needed more time to understand the effects of the bill before it went to a vote. (Guerra Luz, 7/21)
Denver Post:
Cory Gardner Doubles Down On Promise To Address Health Care Reform
Over the shouts of protesters who sought to disrupt his speech, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner on Friday told a conservative gathering that he would “address the issue of health care” in the coming week, doubling down on Republican promises to repeal Obamacare, even as the effort’s success is increasingly in doubt. Gardner’s comments at the Colorado Convention Center came on the opening night of the Western Conservative Summit — the second major conservative political conference in downtown Denver this week, as the American Legislative Exchange Council wrapped up its own annual meeting at a hotel across the street. (Eason, 7/21)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Pence Puts Subtle Squeeze On Portman Over Healthcare At Columbus Fundraiser
Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday doubled down on his promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and tried to put some pressure on U.S. Sen. Rob Portman in the process. Appearing for the fifth time in one of the most contentious states over the healthcare debate, Pence guaranteed during his speech at the Ohio Republican Party state dinner that the healthcare bill currently stalled in the Senate was going up for a vote next week. (Richardson, 7/22)
And in more news on the Republicans' health care efforts —
The Associated Press:
More Reason For Rejecting GOP Health Bill Than Reviving It
There are many reasons why the Senate will probably reject Republicans' crowning bill razing much of former President Barack Obama's health care law. There are fewer why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell might revive it and avert a GOP humiliation. (Fram, 7/24)
The Hill:
GOP Wrestles With Soaring Deductibles In Healthcare Bill
Senate Republicans have run into another problem in passing their ObamaCare replacement bill: It could increase deductibles by thousands of dollars, potentially alienating moderates who are already skeptical of the bill. An analysis released Thursday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concluded that a single policyholder purchasing a standard benchmark plan under the GOP bill could face a deductible of $13,000 in 2026. (Hellmann, 7/22)
Modern Healthcare:
Healthcare Groups Seek Alternatives To Kill ACA Taxes If GOP Repeal Effort Fails
With GOP efforts to gut the Affordable Care Act on the verge of derailing, healthcare industry groups seeking repeal of ACA taxes on their members are looking to hitch a ride on a new legislative train. ... But healthcare lobbyists say if those bills fail, industry groups will try to attach the tax repeals to other legislative vehicles, such as the bipartisan Food and Drug Administration user fee legislation, reauthorization of funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program, the 2018 omnibus budget bill, the Medicare extenders package or broader tax reform legislation. (Meyer, 7/20)
Kaiser Health News:
Opioid Treatment Funds In Senate Bill Would Fall Far Short Of Needs
At a lunch last week, President Trump tried to persuade some reluctant senators to endorse repealing the Affordable Care Act. During the meeting, he mentioned a provision in the Senate Republican proposal that allocates funding for opioid treatment, saying, “We’re committing $45 billion to help combat the opioid epidemic, and some states in particular like that. ”But addiction treatment specialists warn that sum of money is far from enough to address a crisis that has escalated across the United States in recent years, killing tens of thousands of people. (Allen, 7/24)
