What’s Going On Right Now Inside The Senate’s Health Care Debate

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The Federalist

 

What’s Going On Right Now Inside The Senate’s Health Care Debate

JULY 21, 2017 By Christopher Jacobs

The past week’s debate on health care has seen more twists and turns than a dime-store movie novel. “Repeal-and-replace” is dead—then alive again. President Trump calls for outright repeal, then letting the law fail, then “repeal-and-replace” again.

As Vince Lombardi might ask, “What the h— is going on out here???”

Never fear. Three simple facts will put the debate in context.

 

Leadership Is Buying Moderates for ‘Repeal-and-Replace’

Whether in the form of “candy,” “making it rain,” or old-fashioned carve-outs that help states with reluctant senators, Senate leaders are trying to figure out the amount and type of money and incentives that will win enough moderate votes to pass a “repeal-and-replace” bill. Details remain sketchy, but the broader outline is clear: senators don’t want to vote for provisions they approved 18 months ago—when they knew President Obama would veto a repeal measure. And Senate leadership hopes to “solve” this problem essentially by throwing money at it—through new funding for Medicaid expansion states, opioid funding, bailout funds for insurers, programmatic carve-outs for some states, or all of the above (likely all of the above).   

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J. Scott Applewhite AP

POLITICS

JULY 21, 2017 5:00 AM

GOP and Dems start talking about compromise health bill

BY TONY PUGH AND LESLEY CLARK

WASHINGTON 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will move next week on a measure to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, but, predicting failure, other senators are already talking about areas of compromise between Republicans and Democrats.

Senator John Thune, R-South Dakota, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, said there was a "good chance" that if Republicans prove unsuccessful next week there could be pressure to "pivot to another strategy, which could include shorter term measures where you are dealing with some of the Democrats, assuming they are interested in helping."

Senator Ron Johnson, R-WI, who chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said he's talked with the top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., about holding hearings on health care that would look more broadly at the entire system.     http://miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article162819283.html

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  HEALTHCARE

  Parliamentarian deals setback to GOP repeal bill

  BY NATHANIEL WEIXEL21H AGO 42,160
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For years, Republicans have promised the American people we would rescue them from Obamacare. Texans deserve health coverage options that make sense at a price they can afford.

 

Click here to watch the video.

Next week, the Senate will hold a vote to begin the process of repealing Obamacare. There will be an open amendment process so that every Senator can participate and offer ideas.

I’ve heard time and time again from Texans about how Obamacare has hurt their families, their businesses, and their wallets. It’s time to deliver on our promise to the American people, and I look forward to doing just that.