Trump, Republicans appear to fail again in Obamacare repeal
Widely unpopular plan, known as Graham-Cassidy, is likely headed for defeat
WASHINGTON— U.S. President Donald Trump and his Republican colleagues appear to have failed again to repeal Obamacare.
Republicans’ last-minute push to transform the U.S. health system radically was effectively defeated Monday, when one of the senators who killed their previous bill, Maine’s Susan Collins, announced that she was opposed to this one, too.
Collins was the third declared Republican “no” vote, along with Sen. John McCain and Sen. Rand Paul. The party can only afford to lose two members, and Sen. Bill Cassidy, coauthor of the proposal, conceded earlier Monday that the bill would die if Collins was not on board.
“It’s time for us to move on to tax reform,” Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy told the Baton Rouge Advocate.
Cassidy said he would keep trying to repeal Obamacare, but he also said he would not make any more changes to try to win over opponents, BuzzFeed reported.
His widely unpopular plan, known as Graham-Cassidy, would have left millions fewer people with insurance, imposed deep cuts on Democratic states in favour of some Republican states, made insurance pricier for people with “pre-existing” conditions and, in the view of policy experts, created chaos.
Analysts said it was the most radical Republican plan to date. But Republicans, trying to meet a Sept. 30 deadline to pass the bill with just 50 votes, not the 60 needed thereafter, tried to ram it through the Senate.
Collins said she was concerned about the “devastating” cuts the bill would make to the Medicaid program for low-income people, the weakening of protections for preexisting conditions and the likely premium increases for others. She also criticized the rushed process, which was McCain’s chief concern.
The apparent collapse of Graham-Cassidy deepens a major embarrassment for Trump and his party. Republicans had promised for seven years to eradicate Barack Obama’s signature policy. Trump himself ran on a repeal pledge, claiming it would be “so easy.”
The legislative disaster could hurt Republicans in the 2018 elections. But it could conceivably help, sparing them from the wrath of people who would have been harmed if the bill passed.
Activists, many with disabilities, had swamped Capitol Hill earlier Monday, chanting to disrupt the one committee hearing on the bill. Peo- ple in wheelchairs affiliated with activist group ADAPT were dragged away as cameras rolled.
The bill was opposed by virtually every interest group, from the insurance industry to the seniors’ lobby to groups representing patients, doctors and nurses. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, whose son has a heart defect, galvanized the opposition with a series of furious monologues.
The emergence of Graham-Cassidy prompted Republicans to abandon bipartisan negotiations to fix Obamacare.
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said his party wants to reignite the talks.
It is possible Republicans will try to revive the repeal drive at some point later this year or early next.