Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said he had no choice but to use a partisan approach to developing an Obamacare overhaul bill.
He told senators while testifying at the Senate Finance Committee Monday that he would have preferred a better process to review the bill he is co-sponsoring with three other senators. The committee is holding the only hearing on the bill that would cut Medicaid overall and turn Obamacare funding into block grants to states.
“I would prefer hearings, a markup, a Democratic cosponsor,” he said. “For three years I went around to Democratic colleagues and met with you and asked can we please work together.”
Cassidy added that Democrats rebuffed him.
“For three years I was basically told ‘nice try,’ ” he said.
Senate Democrats have said they are open to major changes to fix Obamacare but not repeal it, while Republicans have sought to repeal the law to meet a years-long campaign promise. Democrats and Republicans did work on a narrow bipartisan deal to stabilize Obamacare’s markets, but talks collapsed as GOP leadership pivoted to muster support for the new overhaul bill.
