Health care bill faces GOP skepticism in Senate

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Senate Republicans wasted no time Friday showing they have little use for the House bill to repeal and replace Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act amid fears among Americans that people already sick won’t be able to get affordable insurance.

“I’m going to read the House bill, find out what it costs and where I find good ideas there, why we’ll borrow them. But, basically, we’re writing our own bill,” Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate health committee, said in an interview.

“At this point, there seem to be more questions than answers about its consequences,” said moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, whose vote may prove one of the hardest to get for President Donald Trump and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

And Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said over Twitter: “A bill – finalized yesterday, has not been scored, amendments not allowed, and 3 hours final debate – should be viewed with caution.”

The outspoken and immediate skepticism pointed to a long road ahead in the Senate. And for a president who’s already expressed disappointment in Congress’ slow-moving ways, more frustration seemed assured.

“I don’t think anyone in the Senate is going to be bullied into artificial benchmarks or time lines,” said Josh Holmes, a GOP consultant and former chief of staff to McConnell. “It will be a very different process that will look very different from the one that we just saw unfolding in the House.”

Senate leaders have repeatedly vowed success. “Failure is not an option,” No. 2 Senate leader John Cornyn, R-Texas, said earlier this year.

McConnell plans to move forward under special procedures that allow legislation to pass with a simple majority vote, instead of the 60 usually required for major bills in the Senate. That means he will only need Republican votes, which is all he can rely on anyway since Democrats are refusing to participate in dismantling Obama’s law.