Vote on health bill may be next week

Senate Republicans announced plans to vote next week on their Obamacare repeal, hoping that a push from President Donald Trump

and backing from conservative groups will bring along the votes to approve an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act.

Republican leaders still don’t have the 50 votes needed for passage. The bill, which remains a work in process, threatens to leave 22 million more people uninsured.

But the Republican whip, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, told reporters that the leadership hopes to have a new draft ready later this week, which would allow the Congressional Budget Office to analyze it over the weekend, clearing the way for votes later next week.

Trump and GOP leaders are counting on the looming deadline to nudge reluctant Republicans to quit debating the bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, and vote. They’re warning GOP senators to consider the bleak political fallout of failing to deliver on their yearslong promise to repeal Obamacare.

“What’s standing in the way is just obviously every member of Congress has their own opinion,” Vice President Mike Pence said Monday on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show.

“I think we’re going to get this done,” said Pence, who is expected to be needed to cast the tiebreaking vote for passage, since Republicans have 52 senators in their majority, and some from their ranks will likely oppose the bill.

“It’d be the greatest honor of my life, Rush, if I had the privilege to be able to be the tie-breaking vote to repeal and replace Obamacare,” Pence said.

The bill has been criticized by major health care providers, doctors and patient advocacy groups who warn it will destabilize insurance markets and leave many without coverage.

But it also has been criticized by conservatives who want a more thorough gutting of Obamacare’s taxes and mandates for insurance coverage.

In revising the bill, Republican leaders are expected to add provisions to draw conservative support, particularly one from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. It would allow insurers to offer bare-bones policies free of the current law’s requirements.

That could create cheaper alternatives, at least for healthy consumers. Critics warn the inevitable effect would be to raise costs for those who are not healthy and leave at least some consumers with plans that don’t provide much coverage.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., called the Cruz plan “a cruel, mean hoax” that would leave policy holders with skimpy plans.

Some of Cruz’s fellow Republicans also have expressed opposition.

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 3 Republican, said deliberations continue, but added that the changes being considered “will hopefully address some of the concerns that have been raised.”