Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Not Even McConnell's Legendary Political Skills Could Unite Fractured Party
CNN: Mitch McConnell: The Vote He Couldn't Win
If anyone could have resuscitated the troubled Obamacare repeal and replace bill, it was Mitch McConnell, the steady and disciplined Senate Majority Leader with a track record of getting really tough things done. But after years of pleading, months of negotiating, and weeks of just barely edging the contentious bill forward, it suddenly died. The end was unexpected and dramatic, as McConnell watched Sen. John McCain -- his longtime friend and occasional political rival -- walk to the center of the Senate floor and turn his thumb down to vote "no." (Barrett, 7/28)
Politico: Stunned McConnell Blames Democrats After Crucial Health Care Loss
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed "regret" and "disappointment" immediately after the GOP failed to pass a minimalist Obamacare repeal bill early Friday, blaming congressional Democrats for not engaging "in a serious way" in the efforts to remedy the health care law. "I imagine many of our colleagues on the other side are celebrating, probably pretty happy about this," a stunned seeming McConnell said from the Senate floor. "But the American people are hurting and they need relief." (Lima, 7/28)
