This week: Crunch time for Senate’s ObamaCare repeal bill

[mystery-ak]

This week: Crunch time for Senate’s ObamaCare repeal bill
By Cristina Marcos and Jordain Carney - 07/10/17 06:00 AM EDT

Senate Republicans are returning to Washington facing a tight schedule and deep divisions on repealing and replacing ObamaCare.

GOP lawmakers left town late last month after punting the issue and will return Monday with few signs of progress toward a deal that can get 50 votes.

In an acknowledgement that Republicans could fall short on their years-long campaign pledge, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned that if the current legislation fails they will be forced to negotiate with Democrats.

more
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/scheduling/341060-this-week-crunch-time-for-senates-obamacare-repeal-bill

[Applewood]

If these liars and thieves come up with anything, it won't be anything close to a repeal.  And you can bet that a "bipartisan" deal with the Democrats will bring us single payer, or something close to it. 

[endicom]

This isn't the first crunch and it won't be the last. Maybe.

Is it that McConnell wants to negotiate with the Dems or that he must or that he's applying pressure to stalling Pubs? Why must this be concluded in the next few weeks?

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I'm more open to accepting something less than full repeal than are some, but McConnell's statement that we might have to "shore up private insurance markets" has absolutely no positives to it at all.  It will be undoing that amendment Rubio got through in December 2015 barring the federal government from doing spending general revenue funds to pay insurers.

I'm hoping this is just McConnell playing rhetorical hardball with Cruz and Lee, basically saying "if you won't support a partial repeal, you're going to end up with an actual expansion of ObamaCare."  But if he's serious about that, than I suppose it will be up to House Republicans to put a halt to hit.

[corbe]

Key GOP senator: Revised Senate healthcare bill expected Monday

 By Alexander Bolton - 07/10/17 10:58 AM EDT   

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who has played a central role in negotiating the Senate healthcare reform bill, says a new version of the legislation is expected to be unveiled Monday.

The revised bill gives Senate GOP leaders a second chance to round up 50 votes to repeal and replace major parts of ObamaCare, after their first attempt stalled before the July Fourth recess because of divisions within the Republican conference.

“We’ve got a new version that comes out today. We’ll get new scores from CBO. And there’s a shot of getting to 50 [votes]. Mike Pence breaks the tie,” Toomey, who sits on a special 13-member working group that helped put the legislation together, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in an interview Monday morning.

A senior GOP aide, however, downplayed Toomey’s statement.

“No expectation of today,” the source said.

If the bill comes out today, a score from the Congressional Budget Office would be expected later this week, setting up a vote on the measure next week.
President Trump urged congressional leaders Monday to cancel the August recess if they don’t pass the healthcare bill by the end of July.

“I cannot imagine that Congress would dare to leave Washington without a beautiful new HealthCare bill fully approved and ready to go!” Trump tweeted.

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http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/341272-key-gop-senator-revised-senate-healthcare-bill-expected-monday