Senate Republicans want to vote on a health-care bill this month, maybe regardless of outcome
Senate Republicans want to vote on health-care legislation before the July 4 break, but they have some obstacles to overcome. The first is they don't have a bill. On Tuesday, the Senate GOP caucus will meet to discuss the early draft being written by a working group of 13 senators, and test the waters for how to finish legislation that can get the support of 50 Senate Republicans. The second problem is time: To get a vote by June 30, the start of the July 4 break, Politico notes, the Senate has about 10 working days to finalize the bill and submit it to the Congressional Budget Office for scoring.
The House has not sent its version of the American Health Care Act to the Senate yet, because the Senate parliamentarian is still determining if the House bill meets the strict requirements to allow Senate Republicans to pass their version with a simple majority. Democrats are arguing that it doesn't, in part because of a provision that could affect Native Americans, and if the parliamentarian agrees with them, the House would need to amend the AHCA and vote on it again. The ruling could come this week. That's the third problem, and the fourth is that it isn't clear Senate Republicans can agree on a plan that would get 50 votes.
On Monday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he doesn't think Republicans will pass major health-care legislation this year. "I just don't think we can put it together among ourselves," he told Bloomberg News. "I don't think this gets better over time," Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) told Politico. "So my personal view is we've got until now and the Fourth of July to decide if the votes are there or not. And I hope they are." With health care mucking up an already busy legislative agenda, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) just "wants to be done with this one way or another," a person familiar with the negotiations tells Politico, even if that means bringing up for a vote a bill that fails.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Seattle Children's Hospital sues Texas over 'sham' demand for transgender medical records
Speed Read Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed records of any Texan who received gender-affirming care at the Washington hospital
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Afghanistan has a growing female suicide problem
Speed Read The Taliban has steadily whittled away women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan over the past 2 years, prompting a surge in depression and suicide
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US life expectancy rose in 2022 but not to pre-pandemic levels
Speed Read Life expectancy is slowly crawling back up
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Vallance diaries: Boris Johnson 'bamboozled' by Covid science
Speed Read Then PM struggled to get his head around key terms and stats, chief scientific advisor claims
By The Week UK Published
-
An increasing number of dog owners are 'vaccine hesitant' about rabies
Speed Read A new survey points to canine vaccine hesitancy
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Anger may be a powerful motivator for tough goals, new study suggests
Speed Read Keeping your cool might actually be less efficient than letting your anger drive you
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
A tropical skin disease is making the rounds in the US
Speed Read Leishmaniasis is endemic to the country and can cause ulcers and disfiguration
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published