GOP Holdouts Are Blocking the Health Bill. Here's What They Want
(Bloomberg) -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is working to win over Republican holdouts on his health-care bill after facing a revolt from conservatives and moderates who weren’t ready to act this week.
Some of the holdouts may be easier to persuade than others. A few announced their opposition to his draft bill only after he delayed a planned vote. But others are more dug in.
Several conservatives say the bill doesn’t go nearly far enough in dismantling Obamacare. Moderates worry about the phaseout of the Medicaid expansion, as well as the Congressional Budget Office estimate that 22 million fewer Americans would have health care in a decade under the bill, H.R. 1628.
Republicans started closed-door talks on possible changes Wednesday, following a meeting with President Donald Trump a day earlier. The aim is to produce a deal by Friday so the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office can use next week’s July 4 recess to produce a new analysis that will be crucial in rounding up the 50 votes needed to pass the bill.
Here’s a look at the independent-minded senators from the Republicans’ conservative and moderate wings who may be McConnell’s most difficult targets:
Dean Heller :
The first-termer from Nevada took the strongest stand against the bill. He stood with popular Republican Governor Bill Sandoval at a news conference Friday to oppose the measure because it would cut billions from Medicaid and reduce subsidies for people buying insurance on the individual market. Heller is the Republican considered most at risk of losing re-election in 2018, after winning his seat with only 46 percent of the vote. A switch to supporting the bill would be tough because Democrats would dog him with it all the way to Election Day
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gop-holdouts-are-blocking-the-health-bill-heres-what-they-want/ar-BBDr1t3?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout
= new reply since forum marked as read
