Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Deep Divisions May Provoke GOP Leaders Into Doing Previously Unthinkable: Working With Democrats
The New York Times: As Affordable Care Act Repeal Teeters, Prospects For Bipartisanship Build
With his bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act in deep trouble, Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, raised an alternate possibility on Tuesday: Either Republicans come together, or he would have to work with Democrats to shore up the deteriorating health law. That raised a tantalizing prospect: bipartisanship. (Pear and Kaplan, 6/28)
Morning Consult: Schumer Makes Bipartisan Pitch For Health Care Reform
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reiterated his pitch to President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans on Wednesday, calling for a bipartisan approach to fixing Obamacare as the GOP’s effort on its health care overhaul remains in limbo. “So, I’d make my friends on the Republican side and President Trump an offer: Let’s turn over a new leaf. Let’s start over,” the New York Democrat said on the Senate floor as he called on GOP leaders to drop their push to repeal the taxes that help fund the Affordable Care Act, along with their proposed $772 billion cut to Medicaid. (Easley, 6/28)
The Associated Press: Little Progress Evident As GOP Hunts Health Bill Votes
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is exploring options for salvaging the battered Republican health care bill, even as he confronts an expanding chorus of GOP detractors. That is deepening the uncertainty over whether the party can resuscitate its promise to repeal President Barack Obama's overhaul. (6/29)
Bloomberg: McConnell Scrambles To Win GOP Votes On Troubled Health Bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may have bought himself some time by delaying a vote on his embattled health-care bill, but he faces a difficult and narrow path in trying to deliver on seven years of promises to repeal Obamacare. After McConnell’s decision Tuesday to postpone a planned vote until mid-July, Republican leaders plan to spend the next few days haggling over changes to his draft health-care bill, which isn’t even a week old. The goal is to reach a deal by Friday so the Congressional Budget Office can scrutinize it over the July 4 recess, senators said. (Litvan, 6/28)
The Hill: GOP Infighting Erupts Over Healthcare Bill
Senate Republicans are struggling mightily to find a path forward for their ObamaCare repeal bill, with infighting between moderates and conservatives threatening to create an impasse heading into the July Fourth recess. GOP leaders say they want to have an agreement on changes to the legislation by Friday, but senators said they made virtually no progress at a lunch meeting on Wednesday. In fact, the two sides appeared to grow further apart. (Bolton and Sullivan, 6/28)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Mike Pence Vows To 'Get It Done' On Healthcare During Cleveland Area Visit
Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday promised that Congress and the Trump administration would "repeal and replace" Obamacare, despite setbacks in the Senate. Pence made the guarantee to a group of around 200 people at Tendon Manufacturing in Warrensville Heights, as well as to a private group of business owners he met with before the rally who expressed their frustration with the health care law. (Richardson, 6/28)
The Associated Press: If GOP Can't Repeal Obamacare, How Can They Overhaul Taxes?
Senate Republicans' struggle to pass a health care bill is jeopardizing another one of President Donald Trump's top priorities: overhauling America's tax system. A day after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., delayed a vote on a bill to scrap much of Democrat Barack Obama's health law, questions lingered about whether congressional Republicans could pass big, complicated pieces of legislation. (6/29)
