Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Beyond The Five: Other Republican Senators Have 'Serious Concerns' Over Proposed Bill
Reuters: Key Republican Collins Has 'Serious Concerns' On Healthcare Bill
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said on Sunday she has extreme reservations about the U.S. Senate's healthcare overhaul and does not think it will be able to pass this week. Collins, a moderate Republican who has not taken a formal stance on the bill, said she was concerned it would cut Medicaid too deeply and said she wants to see an upcoming analysis by the Congressional Budget Office before making a decision. (Dunsmuir and Whitesides, 6/25)
Bloomberg: Cornyn Expects To Move Ahead On Senate Health Bill Wednesday
“I have very serious concerns about the bill,” Senator Susan Collins of Maine said on ABC’s “This Week.” The CBO score “will be so important,” she said. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday unveiled a long-awaited proposal to replace the health-care reforms enacted by President Barack Obama. (Krasny and McCormick, 6/25)
The Hill: GOP Senator Defends Funding Planned Parenthood
Republican Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) continued to break with some of her party's priorities on Sunday, speaking out against defunding Planned Parenthood as part of the Senate's recently unveiled healthcare legislation. “It makes absolutely no sense to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood,” Collins told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “This Week.” The moderate Republican’s comments come just days after Senate Republicans revealed proposed legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare, which would defund the nonprofit, which provides women’s health services and abortions. (Manchester, 6/25)
The Wall Street Journal: GOP Senators Express Misgivings About Health Bill
Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who had said last week he couldn’t support the bill, also raised concerns Sunday on the timing. “I don’t have the feedback from constituencies who will not have had enough time to review the Senate bill. We should not be voting on this next week,” Mr. Johnson said on NBC. (Witkowski and Chaney, 6/25)
Politico: Sen. Johnson: No Quick Senate Vote On Obamacare Overhaul
“What I’d like to do is slow the process down, get the information, go through the problem-solving process, actually reduce these premiums that have artificially been driven up because of Obamacare mandates,” Johnson said. (Temple-West, 6/25)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sen. Ron Johnson: 'There's No Way' Lawmakers Vote On Health Care Plan
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin reiterated on Sunday that GOP lawmakers don't have enough information to make a decision this week on the party's health care plan... Johnson said the current proposal is "disappointing" because it won't solve problems with rising premium costs and stabilizing the heath care market. (Hansen, 6/25)
The Hill: Sasse Has 'Nothing To Announce' On GOP ObamaCare Repeal
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said Sunday that he is not committed to the GOP’s ObamaCare repeal bill. Sasse, who described the Senate bill as more of a "Medicaid reform package" than a repeal and replace of ObamaCare at a Koch summit this weekend, broke with the majority of his party in telling a group of donors to Charles and David Koch that he wasn’t committed to the bill, according to multiple reports. (Thomsen, 6/25)
The Hill: Ernst Polls Supporters On Obamacare Repeal Plan
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who has not yet taken a position on Senate Republicans’ ObamaCare repeal and replace plan, is polling her constituents to gauge their feelings on the bill. “Traveling across Iowa on my 99 county tour, I hear from Iowans who are looking for affordable and patient-centered healthcare solutions; your feedback is critical. I will be closely examining the bill to see how it will affect insurance availability and affordability in 2018 and beyond,” Ernst wrote in an email to constituents. (Manchester, 6/25)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia 2018: Gov Candidate Struggles With Healthcare Question On CNN
Republican Michael Williams struggled with a question over the cost of the Senate healthcare bill during a CNN appearance Saturday when asked about an upcoming fiscal analysis of the measure’s cost. The state senator was questioned by a CNN anchor about the impact of the CBO score, a reference to the Congressional Budget Office workup of the Senate health plan. (Bluestein, 6/24)
Politico: Freedom Caucus Holds Fire On Senate Obamacare Repeal Bill
The most hard-line conservatives in the House are taking an unusually cautious approach to the Senate's Obamacare replacement, promising to keep an open mind about whatever their colleagues across the Capitol send back. It’s a change in strategy for the House Freedom Caucus. (Cheney and Bade, 6/25)
Meanwhile in Ohio, Gov. John Kasich speaks out against the bill while Sen. Rob Portman remains circumspect —
Boston Globe: On CNN, An Impassioned Kasich Says Neither Party Cares About Poor People
Ohio Governor John Kasich delivered an impassioned defense of those criticizing the Senate’s version of the GOP health care plan on Sunday, telling CNN’s Dana Bash that neither political party “particularly cares about helping poor people.” The declaration came during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” in which Bash and Kasich were discussing the recently unveiled plan. (Reiss, 6/26)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio Gov. John Kasich Criticizes Senate Health Care Bill
Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Sunday criticized the Senate's health care bill... "Both parties ought to be worried about poor people because I don't think either party particularly cares about helping poor people," Kasich told CNN's Dana Bash. (Ferrise, 6/26)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio Republican Candidates For Governor, U.S. Senate Quiet On Obamacare Repeal Bill
Senate Republicans unveiled their plan to alter Obamacare on Thursday, including a three-year phase out of the Medicaid expansion beginning in 2021. That Medicaid rollback will likely play a massive role in the 2018 governor and Senate races as Republicans wrestle with how to balance six years of calling for Obamacare's repeal while trying to maintain the extra funding the state received because of the law. (Richardson and Tobias, 6/23)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Rob Portman Asked Twitter For Its Thoughts On The Senate Health Care Bill. Guess What Happened.
Thursday afternoon, in the hours after Senate Republicans unveiled their health care bill, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman posted a simple request on Twitter:"Here is the full text of the draft Senate health care bill. Let me know what you think"... So far he's gotten at least 2,300 replies, virtually all of them urging him to vote 'no' - plus a few thanking him for at least asking. (Weiser, 6/23)
