GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Senate Republicans’ plan to pass legislation next week to overhaul the health-care system hung in the balance Wednesday [6-21-17], as at least a half-dozen GOP lawmakers wavered and balked at the push for a quick vote.
The opposition is coming both from conservative Republican senators, who believe the proposal doesn’t repeal enough of the Affordable Care Act, as well as GOP centrists, who are balking at steep cuts to Medicaid that would leave more people uninsured. The situation is fluid and could change, but the political double bind leaves GOP leaders with little room to maneuver.
Lawmakers on both ends of the GOP spectrum are also increasingly joining Democrats in criticizing the lack of transparency and rapid-fire timeline for a vote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) plans to release draft legislation Thursday morning; many lawmakers said they hadn’t seen the bill’s text as of Wednesday afternoon.
Some Republicans, including Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.), are calling the timetable too rushed to ensure their support.”
-Stephanie Armour, Kristina Peterson, and Louise Radnofsky, “Senate Republicans’ Support for Health Bill Wavers,” The Wall Street Journal online, June 21, 2017 08:29pm