McConnell Says He'll Push for Clean Repeal Bill

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell abandoned efforts to pass a broad Republican-only replacement of Obamacare, saying late Monday he will instead seek a vote on a simple repeal -- delayed by two years to give lawmakers time to seek a replacement.

The Kentucky Republican said "regretfully, it is now apparent that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failure of Obamacare will not be successful."

A repeal without a replacement is almost certain to fail. The failure to deliver on seven years of GOP promises to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act would be the biggest failure for President Donald Trump and Republicans since their election victory.

McConnell’s move came after two more Republican senators announced their opposition to McConnell’s plan, drafted largely in secret. The defections by Mike Lee and Jerry Moran, in addition to previous opposition by GOP Senators Rand Paul and Susan Collins, were enough to sink the majority leader’s plan.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/US-Congress-Health-Overhaul-The-Latest/2017/07/17/id/802201/

It's about time, Mitch.

[driftdiver]

Holding my breath.   /s

 

[ShadowAce]

Repeal--never replace.

I just don't understand all the conservative rush to replace this travesty.  Get the stinkin' gov't out of the medical industry, out of the insurance industry.

The more folks here and at TOS mention replace, the less convinced I am that any are actually conservative.

[skeeter]

Might as well lay the cards on the table.

Lumps like Murkowski, Collins and McCain can let everyone know exactly where they stand.

[corbe]

   Damn Sen. Cruz and another of his  poison pills (Consumer Choice) sunk another Senate effort to undermine what the Voters actually want, like the Gang of 8 Immigration bill before this. /s



EDITED TO ADD THE SARCASM TAG

[jpsb]

Good, just repeal OCare. Then get to work on tax reform.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Good, just repeal OCare. Then get to work on tax reform.

A good bit of tax reform will take place if the Obamacare taxes go away.

[skeeter]

   Damn Sen. Cruz and another of his  poison pills (Consumer Choice) sunk another Senate effort to undermine what the Voters actually want, like the Gang of 8 Immigration bill before this. /s



EDITED TO ADD THE SARCASM TAG

In a year his critics will accuse him of trying to save Obamacare.

[libertybele]

In a year his critics will accuse him of trying to save Obamacare.

Of course they will.  IMHO regardless of his intent, he should have remained steadfast on FULL REPEAL; nothing less!

[corbe]

Of course they will.  IMHO regardless of his intent, he should have remained steadfast on FULL REPEAL; nothing less!

   I agree @libertybele other than Sen. Paul and a few HFC members everyone gave up and drank the DC koolaid, But maybe as @skeeter and I proposed he killed it with his poison pill, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though I was initially disappointed in his backtrack from FULL REPEAL.

*Disclaimer:  I drink Cruz koolaid by the gallons......

[bilo]

   I agree @libertybele other than Sen. Paul and a few HFC members everyone gave up and drank the DC koolaid, But maybe as @skeeter and I proposed he killed it with his poison pill, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though I was initially disappointed in his backtrack from FULL REPEAL.

*Disclaimer:  I drink Cruz koolaid by the gallons......

I thought his proposed amendment was brilliant. It would have allowed individuals to decide what was best for them. It would have converted obamacare into the high risk pool for people with acute & chronic pre-existing conditions and had the entire tax base help subsidize these individuals rather than the small individual market. The pressure on Medicaid would have been reduced and govt's role in determining what my healthcare needs are would have been greatly reduced. It's to bad that the Pubs don't believe in what they say they believe in.

I hate to admit it, but you were right. The amendment never came up for a vote. I'll make the donation to The Briefing Room later today.

[skeeter]

   I agree @libertybele other than Sen. Paul and a few HFC members everyone gave up and drank the DC koolaid, But maybe as @skeeter and I proposed he killed it with his poison pill, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though I was initially disappointed in his backtrack from FULL REPEAL.

*Disclaimer:  I drink Cruz koolaid by the gallons......

I'm pretty sure Cruz is delighted with the move towards full ACA repeal.

[txradioguy]

In a year his critics will accuse him of trying to save Obamacare.

I can hear the wailing from TOS and other TreeHouses now "Cruz never wanted to repeal ObamaCare...so he put the amendment in knowing that McConnell would never go for it and it would tank any kind of reform".

 

[INVAR]

McConnell will find a way to sabotage full repeal.  He WANTS Single Payer and ObamaCare will make sure we get there.

Recall that just recently McConnell was making overtures to the Democrats to save their rubber-stamp version of Obamacare.

Remember that McConnell's M.O. is to work behind the scenes to get Democrat measures passed, and then comes out and votes AGAINST them so he can say to us back home here that he "opposed" this or that and his "record is clear".

The guy is a slimy weasel.  I recall Mark Levin going on for an hour a year ago or so about McConnell's sleights-of-hand and how he actually operated. I think it was when Cruz called McConnell a liar and Levin explained how true that was.

I'm not holding my breath but I will support the effort wholeheartedly.

I just don't trust the guy who leads the party in the Senate, and rightfully so.

[corbe]

I thought his proposed amendment was brilliant. It would have allowed individuals to decide what was best for them. It would have converted obamacare into the high risk pool for people with acute & chronic pre-existing conditions and had the entire tax base help subsidize these individuals rather than the small individual market. The pressure on Medicaid would have been reduced and govt's role in determining what my healthcare needs are would have been greatly reduced. It's to bad that the Pubs don't believe in what they say they believe in.

I hate to admit it, but you were right. The amendment never came up for a vote. I'll make the donation to The Briefing Room later today.

   His Amendment(s) to the Immigration Bill were Brilliant too @bilo and achieved the desired effect.

However the timeline and this transcript from an interview with Ted Cruz on Rush Limbaugh on June 19, 2013 shows IT WAS A POISON PILL designed to kill the bill:
June 12, 2013      Ted Cruz offers amendment removing citizenship from the bill. Offering, instead, only legal status.
June 19, 2013      Ted Cruz in interview with Rush Limbaugh states:

“Chuck Schumer was very candid in the Senate Judiciary Committee when he said, “If there is no citizenship, there can be no reform.”

In other words, Cruz knew Schumer would kill the bill if citizenship was removed.

June 27, 2013        The immigration bill passes the Senate including granting citizenship. The house under pressure from voters, many of whom probably found out about the bill from listening to Ted Cruz speaking on Rush, kill immigration reform.

The order of these dates is important.
•This transcript proves he knew Schumer would kill the bill if citizenship was removed and yet Cruz offered the amendment that would do just that. So Cruz knew his amendment would kill the bill.
•This timeline shows Cruz’s explanation that he was trying to kill the bill is true. He did not just use the poison pill as excuse after the fact. It was his STRATEGY ALL THE TIME TO KILL THE BILL.

http://www.redstate.com/diary/quill67/2016/01/29/time-line-transcript-shows-ted-cruzs-amendment-designed-kill-gang-eight-immigration-reform/

PS: Myst may not like the way I wrangle donations from fellow Briefers so don't mention that part.

[austingirl]

Of course they will.  IMHO regardless of his intent, he should have remained steadfast on FULL REPEAL; nothing less!

Absolutely!

[XenaLee]

It's about time, Mitch.

Does anyone, with even half a remaining working brain cell, believe what Mitch (the Bitch) says at this point?

[Sanguine]

Repeal--never replace.

I just don't understand all the conservative rush to replace this travesty.  Get the stinkin' gov't out of the medical industry, out of the insurance industry.

The more folks here and at TOS mention replace, the less convinced I am that any are actually conservative.

Nor do I understand the replace impulse.