Sen. Ted Cruz is seeking changes to the Senate GOP healthcare reform bill that would give states more authority to waive the healthcare law’s mandates, senior aides said Monday.
Cruz, R-Texas, does not yet support the bill from Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Bill Cassidy, R-La. The legislation would convert Obamacare funding into block grants and give states the power to determine whether to continue imposing the law.
But Cruz wants “more freedom in the waivers and more authority for the states to be impactful in that process,” one GOP aide said.
According to the aide, the revised version of Graham-Cassidy initially included the provisions desired by Cruz, but some of them were removed.
“There are some things in there that would represent some progress when it comes to the regulatory waiver process,” the aide said. “But there are also some changes in there that are deeply problematic and represent less authority for states and less freedom for consumers to get out from under Obamacare regulations.”
Republicans are trying to round up 50 votes to pass the bill with the help of Vice President Mike Pence, who would cast the 51st vote.
Two Republicans said they will not vote for the measure. That leaves a handful of undecided Republicans, including Cruz.
The aide said Cruz wants to find a way to vote for the bill.
“But we need to move the ball closer to where he is comfortable with it,” the aide said. “We are disappointed and frustrated we had an agreement that was moved away from us.”
