Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Nevada Senator In The Eye Of The Health Bill Storm
The New York Times: Health Law Repeal Leaves Nevada Republican Torn Between Lawmakers
Senator Dean Heller, Republican of Nevada, is the man everyone wants. This has not been a good thing for him. Brian Sandoval, the governor of Mr. Heller’s home state, is a Republican, but he is counting on Mr. Heller to provide what could be a crucial vote to maintain President Barack Obama’s health care law, which has been a boon for the working poor in Nevada. Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader who this week will be rounding up votes to fulfill his party’s biggest promise of the last decade — repealing the Affordable Care Act — is trying to prevent Mr. Heller from undermining that goal. (Steinhauer, 6/24)
The Associated Press: 5 GOP Senators Now Oppose Health Care Bill As Written
Nevada Republican Dean Heller became the fifth GOP senator to declare his opposition to the party's banner legislation to scuttle much of Barack Obama's health care overhaul on Friday, more than enough to sink the measure and deliver a stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump unless some of them can be brought aboard. (6/24)
The Wall Street Journal: Nevada Senator’s Opposition To Health Bill Highlights Political Pressures
“I cannot support legislation that takes away insurance from millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Nevadans,” said Mr. Heller, who is seen by analysts on both sides as the most vulnerable Senate Republican in 2018. “Make no mistake, the Affordable Care Act does need fixing. But the bill in front of us today doesn’t make those fixes.” The announcement was in part a recognition that the ACA, a law that Mr. Heller has spent years disparaging, has grown more popular in Nevada. (Hackman, 6/24)
CQ Roll Call: Top Nevada Republicans Criticize Senate GOP Health Bill
Republican Sen. Dean Heller and GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval on Friday publicly said they could not support Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's draft health care bill, increasing the challenges facing the veteran Kentucky dealmaker. Heller said at a joint press conference with Sandoval that a procedural vote could come as early as Tuesday and indicated he would not vote even to support that motion to proceed. Heller and Sandoval argued the bill would too abruptly end the 2010 health care law’s Medicaid expansion, which helped the state combat the opioid epidemic. Nevada is among the 31 states and the District of Columbia that accepted generous federal aid to expand their Medicaid programs, allowing the working poor to gain coverage. (Young, 6/23)
Politico Pro: Why Nevada's GOP Senator Opposes The New Health Care Bill
Sen. Dean Heller said Friday that he won't support the Senate's Obamacare repeal bill without significant changes to prevent major coverage losses, a potential blow to the GOP efforts to roll back the health care law... Heller is now the fifth Republican to go public with a threat to vote against the bill, which is the culmination of seven years of GOP campaign promises. (Haberkorn and Pradhan, 6/23)
