Parts of Senate GOP Health Care Bill Break Rules, Parliamentarian Says

[DonViejo]

Source: Roll Call




Abortion, insurance regulations, cost-sharing subsidies would require 60 votes

Posted Jul 21, 2017 7:04 PM
Mary Ellen McIntire

Several parts of the Senate health care bill would violate the chamber’s budget reconciliation rules, the Senate parliamentarian said in a guidance late Friday.

Provisions related to abortion, certain insurance regulations and funding the law’s cost-sharing subsidies could be struck under the so-called Byrd rule and would require 60 votes to survive.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said the Senate will take a procedural vote to proceed to debate on the health care measure early next week. It’s unclear whether enough Republican senators will vote to start debate or which version of the bill the Senate would consider. The parliamentarian's ruling is on an early version released last month.

Additionally, a provision that aims to incentivize individuals to purchase coverage and replace the health care law's individual mandate was ruled out of order with the Byrd rule.

Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/parts-senate-gop-health-bill-break-rules-parliamentarian-says

[TygrBright]

1. This is actually pretty big.

And it's only to be expected when idiots throw together a bill in secret using silly string, spit and malice.

amusedly,
Bright

[still_one]

2. yes it is, and the Senate parliamentarian is a republican

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Correct. All these things they keep doing to buy off votes

are breaking the Reconciliation rules.

[Nitram]

9. The problem is, they can take this Frankenstein of a bill and chop off anything that

doesn't meet reconciliation rules, and sew on anything else that might get them enough votes.

[flamingdem]

4. Why are the cost sharing subsidies being held up then?

Maybe this means Trump can't continue to do that.

[swag]

5. You would think McConnell would have known about the Byrd Rule.

[MiniMe]

6. You obviously have mistaken the Turtle for somebody who gives a sh*t about things like Senate rules

[briv1016]

7. The Huffpost article on this says they can just ignore this rule if they want.

It's only followed out of tradition.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Kick (nt)