The conservative Tea Party Patriots on Monday gave a tepid endorsement of an Obamacare overhaul bill in the Senate.
The group said most of its supporters do not back the bill that would give Obamacare funding to states through block grants. However, the same supporters believe the group should endorse the bill because it is a step toward full repeal, according to a statement from Tea Party Patriots President Jenny Beth Martin.
Now the group is calling on Senate leadership to hold a vote as quickly as possible to shortcut any attempts by Democrats to run out the clock.
Republicans are trying to use a procedural tool called reconciliation to get a health bill approved in the Senate with only 51 votes, bypassing the 60 required to stop a filibuster. However, the rules expire Sept. 30.
If that happens, the entire Obamacare repeal process would have to start over again in the House.
Martin said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should try to get a score from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office as soon as possible so that the Senate can take up the bill before the deadline.
The group said the bill’s waiver process that lets states waive key insurer regulations such as preventing insurers from charging sicker people more money should be amended.
States currently can waive the mandate against charging sick people more, called community rating, but only if they show that it won’t affect access to affordable care for people. It is not clear what that criteria would be.
But Martin said the language needs to go further than what is in there.
“Our organization is reserving the right to withdraw support of Graham-Cassidy if the final bill is not geared towards more healthcare freedom, and set up as a step to full repeal,” she said. “We are willing to bend and give to get as much as we can right now in a good faith effort to find a solution that can get 51 votes and repeal as much of Obamacare now as possible.”
