GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Republican leaders scrambled for support on Tuesday [6-27-17] ahead of a vote to take up legislation repealing the Affordable Care Act, negotiating, pressuring and cajoling Republican senators but preparing for another embarrassing setback for President Trump.
Republican leaders seemed to be taking a page from the playbook used to get a bill over the line in the House, trying to find ways to appease the most conservative members of their conference while pressuring moderates to fall in line with fewer concessions. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, cast his lot early on by allowing the bill to be more conservative than his moderate members wanted, setting the tone for the debate.
Conservatives now want to allow states to waive the Affordable Care Act’s prohibition on insurance companies charging sick people more for coverage and are asking for a more expansive waiver system for state regulators. They are also demanding more money for tax-free health savings accounts to help people pay for private insurance.”
-Jennifer Steinhauer and Glenn Thrush, “Republicans Struggle to Marshal Votes for Health Care Bill,” The New York Times online, June 27, 2017