Senate Republicans Unveil ‘Better Care Reconciliation Act’

Changes will be needed in released text to garner enough Republicans to eventually clear Senate

The wait is over as Republican leadership finally released their version of health-care reform. It is similar in some ways to the House-passed measure, but differs significantly in other ways.

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This is not the time to even listen to lawmakers from either political party talk about the health-care bill because this is spin-time. Give the process time for professional analysis.

Changes ahead. Provisions of the Senate bill will be altered in the coming debate via amendments and changes Republicans will have to make to have any chance of finding enough Republicans to approve the measure on the Senate floor, assuming as most expect they will not receive one Democratic vote. Three GOP senators have already signaled they would not support the Senate bill as released, an expected development. Republicans can only afford to lose two GOP votes to still get the measure passed (Vice President Mike Pence would break a 50/50 tie).

Next step. No votes will be made on the measure until the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) releases its analysis of the Senate proposal. That could come as soon as Friday; if not, early next week.

Timeline. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said there would be “ample time” to analyze the bill before a vote expected next week. Looking ahead, Congress leaves for a weeklong recess for the Fourth of July and will be out for five weeks starting July 28, leaving little room on the legislative calendar.

President Trump comments. In an event in the White House’s East Room, the president said he hoped the Senate would pass a health care bill “with heart” and said he was pleased with the legislation. “A little negotiation but it’s gonna be good,” he said. “We’re putting in a plan today that’s going to be negotiated,” he said. He added that he would “love” to have Democrats support the bill but said, “They’re obstructionist ... we’ll never get one.”