Senate Republicans unveiled a 142-page bill to partially repeal and replace Obamacare on Thursday. The bill can only lose two GOP votes and still pass the Senate, but several Republicans expressed opposition or concerns about the bill in its current form. In a joint statement, conservative senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, and Rand Paul of Kentucky announced they are currently “not ready to vote for this bill”:
Among the four, Paul seemed to express the strongest opposition, telling reporters that the GOP bill “keeps Obamacare.” Mike Lee wants to Obamacare’s regulations repealed outright, a step to the right of the House compromise that merely allowed states to get waivers from these regulations. Johnson has opposed the rush to vote on the bill within a week, while Cruz has been expressing hopes to vote yes if the bill can be amended. “I want to get to yes, but this first draft doesn’t get the job done,” Cruz said in a separate statement. “Over the next week and beyond, I will continue working to bring Republicans together to honor our promise, repeal Obamacare, and adopt common-sense, consensus reforms that can actually be passed into law.” The bill also faces challenges on the Republican conference’s left flank. “At first glance, I have serious concerns about the bill’s impact on the Nevadans who depend on Medicaid,” said Nevada senator Dean Heller, widely seen as the most vulnerable GOP incumbent senator up for reelection in 2018. Susan Collins of Maine, the Senate GOP’s most liberal member, “has a number of concerns,” according to her spokeswoman.
Most senators emerged from the Thursday morning caucus meeting saying that they needed more time to read the bill. “I haven’t read the bill. I’m not happy or unhappy. I’m neutral,” Tennessee’s Bob Corker told reporters. “I need to go back and read it.”
