ObamaCare repeal: Now what?
Senators who walked off the floor around 2 a.m. Friday after the stunning defeat of the latest GOP ObamaCare repeal effort face tough questions on how to move forward.
GOP leaders sounded pessimistic notes that the failure would lead to compromise or bipartisan work on healthcare, though some members said they hoped it would spur leaders to start a more formal process of committee work after months on Senate bills being drawn up behind closed doors.
We're not adverse to that, said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 3 Senate Republican. I just dont have high hopes that we're going to get anything that really solves the problems that we think exist with ObamaCare today."
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Three main points quickly emerged after the GOP's seven-year effort to kill off ObamaCare seemed to die a final death: the need to have bipartisan committee work, a desire to stabilize insurance markets and calls for administration action to change the healthcare law.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), one of three Republicans to vote against the so-called skinny bill, said she talked to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Senate Health Committee, on the floor, and he is already putting panel staff to work.
Thune also said Alexander and his committee's ranking Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), could work on fixes to the healthcare system in committee.
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/344273-lawmakers-look-forward-after-obamacare-repeal-failure