A group of Republican senators are working to convince their colleagues to support their last-ditch effort to gut Obamacare.
The four senators behind a plan to provide Obamacare funding to states through a block grant met with the Republican conference Thursday as part of a luncheon. The meeting is among a series of opening moves the senators are making to muster support from 46 other Republicans before a deadline at the end of the month. The senators were happy to receive more support from GOP leadership for the proposal.
“We’re getting there. Never felt better,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., as he left the luncheon. He is cosponsoring the legislation alongside Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Dean Heller of Nevada, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.
It is not clear if the senators can win the three Republican holdouts who voted against a “skinny” Obamacare repeal bill in late July.
The repeal bill, deemed a vehicle to start talks with the House on a new package, failed to advance by a 49-51 vote. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted against it.
“John McCain likes the idea of a block grant. He’s gotta talk to his state officials and see how they feel about it,” Graham said of his closest friend in the Senate. “I hope we can convince state officials that a block grant that they control is better than Obamacare, for the country and Arizona.”
Cassidy is meeting with Murkowski to try to win her support, Graham added.
Collins told reporters Thursday that she is still wading through the legislation, which was released late Wednesday. However, she was concerned about defunding Planned Parenthood for one year.
Graham was ebullient, however, that GOP leaders are taking a greater role in lobbying for the bill.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “was very helpful,” he said. “For the first time we are seeing some real commitment to get this thing moving.”
McConnell told everybody to jump on board and support the bill, Graham added.
Some senators said they back the proposal but are skeptical if enough support can be put together in time.
“You need 50 votes plus the vice president in the chair to make it work,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. “I am still not sure that is there, but if it is there then I think we have a major opportunity to improve healthcare in the United States.”
The senators face a very short window to get enough support for the bill.
At the end of the month, instructions expire for the procedural move Republicans are using to get the bill passed in the Senate with only 51 votes instead of 60 normally needed to stop a filibuster. Getting 60 votes would be nearly impossible as all Democrats are expected to oppose the bill.
The GOP has a 52-48 majority in the Senate and can afford to lose only two senators as Vice President Mike Pence can break a tie.
GOP House and Senate leadership has made a clear pivot to tax reform, hoping to generate momentum on another top priority.
But Johnson said that there is no reason healthcare legislation should be pushed aside.
“Our effort pretty well expires on Sept. 30. I am not even sure we will have the exact outline of the [tax reform] plan before Sept. 30,” Johnson said. “I don’t think what we do with taxes should have any impact on what we do with this last-ditch healthcare proposal.”
