The White House is sending its top healthcare officials to Capitol Hill on Wednesday night to meet with the Republicans who are opposed to starting debate on a bill repealing Obamacare.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters after Republican senators met with President Trump that Vice President Mike Pence, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma will meet with the Republican holdouts.
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Shelley Moore Capito, and Susan Collins of Maine said they would vote against McConnell’s idea of taking up a bill to repeal most of Obamacare without a replacement. But that plan appears to be shifting, and Republicans may be trying again for a bill that repeals and replaces parts of Obamacare at the same time.
Either way, Republicans need 50 votes to start debate on the matter, and Republicans can only afford to lose two votes if they hope to get the 50 needed to start debate on the bill. Sen. John McCain’s absence from work this week is also making it harder for Republicans to reach 50, but if he returns next week, he is expected to support McConnell’s plan.
McConnell stressed that Republicans need to begin debate on the bill in order to keep their promise to the American people that they would repeal and replace the 2010 healthcare law, and said he would hold a vote on the motion to proceed next week.
“Let me describe what ‘yes’ is. It’s the motion to proceed. We cannot keep the commitment we made to the American people to repeal and replace Obamacare unless we get on the bill,” said McConnell, R-Ky.
“The takeaway from what I’m telling you is no harm is done by getting on the bill,” he continued. “Wide open for amendment. No matter what I offer as a substitute first, it’s fully amendable.”
While McConnell last week all but gave up the idea of a successful vote on healthcare, he said after the White House meeting that he expects the votes to be there to at least start work on the bill.
“Next week, we’ll be voting on the motion to proceed, and I have every expectation that we’ll be able to get on the bill,” he said.
