Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she hasn't seen her party's health-care bill because she's 'not a reporter' or 'lobbyist'
The Senate's health-care bill was written in such secrecy that as of Thursday morning, even many Republicans had not yet laid their eyes on the actual text. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) briefed the White House staff on the bill's details Wednesday, the actual document is only set to be made public Thursday.
Democrats have issued scathing statements condemning the Republicans for their closed-door tactics, but even some Republicans are feeling their patience splinter. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) issued a sarcastic answer to the Independent Journal Review's Haley Byrd after being asked if she'd seen the text:
"As the Senate prepares to finally loop in the American public, already several news reports from outlets like The Washington Post and Politico have published what they're hearing is in the bill," Vox writes. "They are all sourced to lobbyists and aides."
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Along with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Murkowski is one of the Republicans' sharpest critics of the health-care bill, and her vote could be critical in deciding if it passes or not. In anticipation of pressure from the White House, she told Politico that if the bill "doesn't work for Alaska, it doesn't make any difference who's calling me."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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