Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'I Think It's Over': Senators Ready To Move On From Repeal Efforts
The Associated Press: Senate GOP Sees No Path On Health Care, Despite Trump Prods
Top Senate Republicans think it's time to leave their derailed drive to scrap the Obama health care law behind them. And they're tired of the White House prodding them to keep voting until they succeed. Several GOP leaders said Monday that at least for now, they saw no clear route to the 50 votes they'd need to get something — anything — recasting President Barack Obama's health care statute through the Senate. (Fram, 8/1)
Politico: Republicans Ignore Trump's Obamacare Taunts
Senate Republicans have no plans to revive their party-line attempts to repeal Obamacare this summer, despite President Donald Trump’s increasing frustration over the chamber’s failed attempts last week to gut the law. "Until somebody shows us a way to get that elusive 50th vote, I think it's over,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the third-ranking Republican. “Maybe lightning will strike and something will come together but I'm not holding my breath." (Everett and Haberkorn, 7/31)
Los Angeles Times: Senior GOP Senators Serve Notice: No Action On Healthcare At This Point
Trump administration officials continue to push the Senate to take another run at healthcare legislation, but on Monday senior Republican senators pushed back, making clear that they're done with the topic for now. "There's just too much animosity and we're too divided on healthcare," Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), the head of the Senate Finance Committee, said in an interview with Reuters. (Lauter, 7/31)
The Hill: Hatch: GOP ‘Too Divided’ To Restart ObamaCare Repeal
A top Senate Republican said he thinks congressional Republicans are too divided right now to continue trying to repeal ObamaCare.Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said he and other senior Republicans will take that message to the Trump administration, in light of White House pressure to continue hammering out a repeal-and-replace plan that could pass both chambers. (Weixel, 7/31)
Politico: White House Not Letting Go Of Obamacare Repeal
The White House is trying to rebuild momentum for Obamacare repeal after it stalled, yet again, in the GOP Senate last week. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) met Monday with top aides to President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about health care reform, said a Cassidy aide and Republican officials. (Everett and Dawsey, 7/31)
The Hill: GOP Senator Meets With Price, Governors On Healthcare
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) met with a top administration official on Monday as the White House tries to revive ObamaCare repeal after last week's setback in the Senate. The Louisiana Republican met at the White House with fellow physician Tom Price, President Trump's secretary of Health and Human Services, and governors to try to find a path forward on healthcare. (Carney, 7/31)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Walker Goes To The White House To Talk Obamacare
At the White House on Monday, Gov. Scott Walker talked with other governors and officials in Donald Trump’s administration about last week's Senate failure to repeal Obamacare and the way it has left states like Wisconsin at a continued disadvantage. Walker on Saturday issued a statement calling for the federal government to give states “the resources and responsibility for health care.” (Marley and Stein, 7/31)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Little Movement On Health Care As GOP Talk Pivots To Tax Reform
As Senators returned to work on Capitol Hill for the first time since last week’s defeat of a bare bones GOP bill to overhaul the Obama health law, there was no indication of an immediate attempt by Republicans to rush a new proposal forward for a vote, as party leaders and rank and file GOP lawmakers started talking more about a major push on tax reform later this year. ... From Republicans of all stripes – that was a common theme – now is not the time to quit, even if the votes don’t seem to be there. (Dupree, 7/31)
