There have been some major shifts in the healthcare fight recently and I wanted to give you an update on them. On Monday night, it became clear there was not enough support in the Senate to pass the revised Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) when Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) came out in opposition to the proposal, which was already opposed by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) acknowledged that final passage of the bill would not be successful. In doing so, McConnell said that if the Senate votes to proceed to debate on the House-passed bill (the American Health Care Act), the first amendment would be “what a majority of the Senate has already supported in 2015 and that was vetoed by then-President Obama.” At this point, that vote is expected fail. .
The next steps to end Obamacare are clear. We must:
1. Stop any bailout of Obamacare
Senate Republicans promised to repeal Obamacare, not bail it out. Yesterday, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced he would hold hearings on “stabilizing” the individual health insurance market. In other words, some Republicans are ready to work with Democrats and liberal Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to bail out health insurance companies and prop-up this failing law.
This approach is not only unacceptable to voters, who elected Republicans because they promised repeal, but it would also embolden moderates to continue to hold out in attempt to keep as much of Obamacare on the books as possible.
2. Force Senators back to the negotiating table
After meeting at the White House today for lunch, Senate Republicans promised to continue discussions later this evening. Senators need to understand there is no Obamacare bailout to fall back on. Premiums are skyrocketing and networks are narrowing.
We must keep the pressure on Republicans so they sit down at the negotiating table and agree on a real repeal of Obamacare that actually unravels Obamacare’s regulations and mandates that are responsible for skyrocketing premiums.
This process has been messy and, to be quite frank, disheartening, as we’ve seen that some Republicans in Congress were never serious about repealing Obamacare. At Heritage Action we promise to keep fighting for a patient-centered healthcare system and our shared conservative principles, and I encourage you to keep fighting alongside us. Thanks for your hard work. .
-Dan
Dan Holler
Vice President
Heritage Action for America
