GOP making little progress in rounding up health-care votes

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell explored options for salvaging the battered Republican health care bill Wednesday but confronted an expanding chorus of GOP detractors, deepening the uncertainty over whether the party can resuscitate its bedrock promise to repeal President Barack Obama's overhaul.

A day after McConnell, short of votes, unexpectedly abandoned plans to whisk the measure through his chamber this week, fresh GOP critics popped forward.

Facing a daunting equation — the bill loses if three of the 52 GOP senators oppose it — the list of Republicans who’ve publicly complained about the legislation reached double digits, though many were expected to eventually relent.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said “of course” his support was uncertain because he wants to ease some of the measure’s Medicaid cuts, and Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., told The Omaha World-Herald that the bill was not a full repeal, adding, “Nebraskans are dissatisfied with it and so am I.”

McConnell wants agreement by Friday on revisions so the Senate can approve it shortly after returning in mid-July from an Independence Day recess. Several senators scoffed at that timetable, with McCain saying, “Pigs could fly.” Democrats weren’t doing a victory dance. “I expect to see buyouts and bailouts, backroom deals and kickbacks to individual senators to try and buy their vote,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “What I don’t expect to see, yet, is a dramatic rethink of the core” of the bill.