Sen. Ted Cruz's health care compromise may be down but not out
Filed under Politics at 5 hrs ago
Written by Katie Leslie, Washington correspondent WASHINGTON — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s controversial proposal to let insurers sell skimpy health insurance plans may have failed in a procedural vote late Tuesday. But, as the Senate takes up a dizzying number of amendments this week in its bid to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, it’s not dead — yet.
Cruz’s Consumer Freedom amendment, which would allow insurers to sell bare-bones policies alongside ACA-compliant plans, could be resurrected once the Senate passes a health care bill and negotiates a final compromise with the House, according to fellow Texas Sen. John Cornyn.
First, the Senate has to secure 50 GOP votes on a health care measure — a goal that’s remained out of reach amid disagreements between conservative and moderate Republicans. The Senate has so far voted down two major health care proposals, including one on Wednesday from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would have repealed major parts of Obamacare and given lawmakers two years to craft a replacement.
In the absence of widespread agreement on a comprehensive plan, Cornyn indicated the Senate is likely to pass a so-called skinny repeal that could nix Obamacare’s individual and employer mandates, along with its taxes, such as on medical devices. Even those details, however, are still being worked out as the fate of the American health care system hangs in the balance.
“This is a high-wire act, the whole thing,” Cornyn said on Wednesday, a day after Senate Republicans narrowly cleared a procedural hurdle to begin debating the overhaul. “What we’re trying to do is find a way that unites our conference.”
Like most things with health care, what happens next with Cruz’s measure is far from simple.
More votes neededPart of what hung up the amendment on Tuesday is that it required 60 votes to move forward, instead of the 50 GOP leaders need under the Senate rules of reconciliation, which dictate provisions must be budget- or spending-related. The fiscal impact of Cruz’s measure hasn’t been evaluated by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
What’s more, the Cruz measure was bundled with a version of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Better Care Reconciliation Act and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman’s proposal to provide $100 billion in assistance for people coming off Medicaid.
The vote failed 43-57 late Tuesday, with nine Republicans voting against it. But a sanguine Cruz left the door open for his proposal’s return.
“I believe the Consumer Freedom amendment will be in the legislation that is ultimately enacted,” he told reporters late Tuesday, after delivering a fiery speech on repealing Obamacare that echoed his early rise to prominence.
“When precisely that occurs, the legislative path to get there, time will tell,” he said.
Cruz walked away without answering whether he’d support the GOP’s final health care bill if it didn’t include his plan.
Buying timeCornyn said that if the Senate passes a stripped-down repeal measure this week, lawmakers could effectively buy time for the budget office to come back with the financial impact of Cruz and Portman’s measures before the House and Senate hammer out a final product in conference. In that event, it could be subject to the 50-vote threshold, assuming Vice President Mike Pence breaks a potential tie.
“It seems to me a pretty good strategy to do that, to get a bill, to get to conference, to get the scores and come out with a final result,” Cornyn said.
Opponents, including Democrats and health care advocates, criticize the “skinny” measure and real-time health care policy making as reckless.
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