Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana returned to Washington Tuesday saying that they still had hope that an amendment they are working on could act as a vehicle to repeal and replace portions of Obamacare.
The amendment, which has not been fully written and has not been scored by the Congressional Budget Office, would transfer Obamacare’s revenue from taxes to states so they can come up with their own plans. Graham has said previously that he believes as much as $500 billion could be sent to states.
“I’ve never felt better about it,” Graham said about the amendment. “It ain’t done yet but we’re getting there.”
Rep. Mark Meadows, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, which helped negotiate a House bill to repeal and replace portions of Obamacare, told reporters Tuesday that he supports the Senate trying again to repeal portions of Obamacare. The deadline for doing so through reconciliation, which allows a bill to get passed in the Senate by only 51 votes instead of 60 needed to break a filibuster, runs out Sept. 30.
“I think we have to take one more stab at repeal and replacement,” he said. “Right now the Graham bill in the Senate offers the greatest possibility for getting that done.” He said he had several conversations with Graham during the August recess. Meadows filed a petition in August to bring a bill to the House floor that would repeal portions of Obamacare and give Congress two years to arrive at a replacement plan. The bill passed the House and Senate in 2015 but was vetoed by former President Barack Obama. It failed in the Senate when brought to the floor again in July.
Cassidy said he discussed the proposal during a phone call with governors on Tuesday, including with Florida Gov. Rick Scott and members of the Republican Governor’ Association.
“We are still refining the legislative language,” he said, adding that they hope to have text by the end of the week.
It’s unclear whether other Senators have an appetite for resuscitating Obamacare repeal efforts. GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John McCain of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who comprised enough votes to sink Obamacare repeal efforts in July, along with Democrats, have said that bipartisan talks should occur instead. Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee are meeting beginning Wednesday to discuss several proposals to stabilize the Obamacare exchanges, but divisions on priorities already have emerged.
