The Congressional Budget Office on Monday afternoon will release a preliminary score of the Obamacare overhaul bill backed by Senate Republicans, but it will not include information about some of the legislation’s most recent changes.
The score will estimate whether the legislation would reduce budget deficits by at least as much as was estimated for Obamacare, whether it meets reconciliation rules that allow it to be passed through a simple majority, and whether the bill would increase budget deficits in the long term.
The bill, known as Graham-Cassidy, was introduced by GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Dean Heller of Nevada and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. It would divert revenue from Obamacare to states to craft their own healthcare systems and would give them funding through block grants.
The latest version of the legislation makes changes to the provisions for pre-existing illnesses and provides more funding to states whose senators are on the fence about the bill or have said they oppose it.
Centrist Susan Collins, R-Maine, has said that she is waiting for the score to determine how she will vote on the bill, but that she is leaning against it. If three Republicans oppose the bill, with all Democrats, it would not pass. GOP Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Rand Paul of Kentucky have expressed their opposition, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said he opposed a former version of the bill.
A hearing in the Senate Finance Committee will be held Monday afternoon and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he expects to bring the bill to the floor for a vote this week.
• This article has been corrected to specify which version of the legislation will be scored.
