Mitch McConnell's Secret Health-Care Bill Should've Stayed Secret
Hours after the Senate bill was introduced, pushback was coming from all sides of his conference.
JACKIE KUCINICH
ANDREW DESIDERIO
06.22.17 5:35 PM ET
At 9:30 a.m., Republican senators gathered in a room just off the Senate floor to hear the long-awaited details of the health-care bill their leadership had crafted behind closed doors.
By 2 p.m., it was clear that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not yet have the votes to pass it—and pushback was coming from all sides of his conference.
The ultimate fate of the bill, dubbed the Better Care Reconciliation Act, was unclear and will likely remain that way in the coming days as senators await a score on the legislation from the Congressional Budget Office, weigh the potential consequences by the changes that are made to the Affordable Care Act, and angle for deals to benefit their home states or policy goals.
But few in or around the Senate chamber expected widespread acceptance of the bill—aptly called “a discussion draft”—out of the gate. And it became clear that even some of those who came out against the legislation hinted that their “no” could change to a “yes” with a little love and attention.
“It has to look less like Obamacare lite, and it’s gotta look like what we promised,” said Sen. Rand Paul, who issued a statement in opposition to the current language with Sens. Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, and Ron Johnson.
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