The contents of the emerging Senate healthcare bill are the best-kept secret in Washington. Even high-profile senators claim no knowledge of the legislative text, and it isn’t even entirely clear who is writing the bill. But one thing is becoming clear: Republicans have already given up on fulfilling their seven-year promise of repealing and replacing Obamacare.
Republicans may not outright say this. In fact, if you ask them, they’ll say that they’re still working hard to hash out a compromise that delivers on their promise. But at this point, anything that comes out of ongoing negotiations won’t be able to plausibly be described as repeal. Last December, I warned conservatives to beware of what I dubbed “RINOcare,” or “Repeal In Name Only.” And it’s now inevitable that this is what conservatives will get – if they get anything at all.
