Dem Casey relieved GOP failed again on ACA repeal push
Graham-Cassidy is dead on arrival.
The bill, the latest effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act that Republicans had planned to vote on this week, lacked the support necessary to pass.
Despite a clear majority in the Senate, a few Republican holdouts hindered the bill from moving to a vote.
“We don’t have the votes,” said bill co-author Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., at a press conference Tuesday. “And since we don’t have the votes, we will postpone that vote.”
“We know what we’re against,” said bill co-author Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., “We’ve had a hard time articulating what we’re for.”
On Sept. 30, a procedure that allows Republicans to pass legislation with a simply majority vote will expire, meaning the next effort will need at least eight Democrats and the full complement of Republicans to pass a health care bill into law.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who was “relieved” that his Republican counterparts in the Senate were abandoning the vote on Graham-Cassidy, said “I am a ‘no’ and was always a ‘no’ on this irresponsible scheme.”
“It’s time for Republicans in Washington to end this obsession with repeal, and engage in bipartisan discussions to improve our health care system,” Casey said in a statement. Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, had publicly announced their opposition to the bill, joining the 46 Democrats and two Independents who were unanimous ‘no’ votes.
Mentioning bipartisan discussions between Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Casey said the two were making “substantial progress” before the Graham-Cassidy bill appeared, which again was a Republican effort to turn federal subsidies into a block grant system for states.
The Congressional Budget Office released a preliminary score Monday of the GOP’s plan to replace the ACA, otherwise known as Obamacare, and said the bill, if passed into law, would reduce the budget deficit by at least $133 billion, but millions of people would lose comprehensive health insurance.
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., was in Springfield earlier this week to discuss tax reform with members of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, but the health care bill was among his top priorities on Monday.
Toomey said to the Daily Times that he was optimistic that the states would offer insurance to recipients at a quality comparable to that of the federally-mandated Obamacare.
“It’s important to recognize that virtue and wisdom is not exclusive to Washington, D.C.,” Toomey said. “We have 50 state capitols where there are legislatures and governors that are responsive to their citizens and constituents.”
A request for comment from Toomey was not immediately responded to Tuesday.
Toomey left straight for Washington, D.C., Monday for a Senate Finance Committee hearing, of which both Pennsylvania senators are members. The proceedings were temporarily halted Monday when 181 protesters, some of whom slid out of their wheelchairs onto the floor, stormed the meeting and were arrested by Capitol Police.
Casey said in his statement that increasing competition, focusing on premiums and reducing costs should be a common goal between Democrats and Republicans, which can only be reached by “genuine bipartisan compromise.”
“Neither Democrats nor Republicans will get everything they want, but the health care of millions of Pennsylvania families will be more secure,” Casey wrote.
Republicans hold a 52 to 48 majority in the Senate. Currently, the budget reconciliation instructions allows Republicans to pass a bill with a simple majority — Vice President Mike Pence can overrule a 50-50 tie with a deciding vote — but that special process will expire on Saturday.
However, the Republican majority can still pass a budget resolution for a particular fiscal year containing reconciliation instructions that can be used for one bill affecting both spending and revenue, like Obamacare.