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Senators threaten to block healthcare 'skinny repeal' bill | Senators threaten to block healthcare 'skinny repeal' bill |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Republican Senators threatened to vote against the latest Obamacare repeal bill unless they received a guarantee it would be debated further. | Republican Senators threatened to vote against the latest Obamacare repeal bill unless they received a guarantee it would be debated further. |
Lindsey Graham, Ron Johnson, and John McCain's votes would have been enough to scupper the bill's chances. | Lindsey Graham, Ron Johnson, and John McCain's votes would have been enough to scupper the bill's chances. |
The Senate and House have repeatedly disagreed on a series of healthcare bills ahead of summer recess. | The Senate and House have repeatedly disagreed on a series of healthcare bills ahead of summer recess. |
House Speaker Paul Ryan seemed to accede to the demands, but said it was now the Senate's job to produce a plan. | House Speaker Paul Ryan seemed to accede to the demands, but said it was now the Senate's job to produce a plan. |
The senators wanted guarantees that the bill would be sent to a "conference committee" - a normal process when the House and Senate approve similar but slightly different bills. | |
But if the House simply voted to approve a Senate bill "as-is", it would be sent to President Trump to be signed into law instead. | |
"If moving forward requires a conference committee, that is something the House is willing to do," Paul Ryan said in a statement. | |
"The reality, however, is that repealing and replacing Obamacare still ultimately requires the Senate to produce 51 votes for an actual plan." | "The reality, however, is that repealing and replacing Obamacare still ultimately requires the Senate to produce 51 votes for an actual plan." |
Mr Ryan's statement produced a mixed response from wavering Republican senators. | Mr Ryan's statement produced a mixed response from wavering Republican senators. |
Sen McCain told reporters it was "not sufficient" to allow him to vote for the bill. | Sen McCain told reporters it was "not sufficient" to allow him to vote for the bill. |
But his fellow objector Lindsey Graham later said he had spoken to Mr Ryan and received a clear enough assurance to vote for the measure. | But his fellow objector Lindsey Graham later said he had spoken to Mr Ryan and received a clear enough assurance to vote for the measure. |
Another sceptic, David Perdue, said "the reassurance from Paul Ryan tonight is good enough for me". | Another sceptic, David Perdue, said "the reassurance from Paul Ryan tonight is good enough for me". |
'Horrible politics' | 'Horrible politics' |
Shortly after the senators received their assurances, debate began in the Senate on the unveiled legislation, called the "health care freedom act''. | |
A small number of protesters gathered outside the US Capitol late in the evening as the proceedings started. | |
Inside the chamber, Democrats appealed to their peers across the aisle to vote against the move. | |
"There has never been a process as absurd as what we are seeing here," Bernie Sanders told his colleagues. | |
Some chose to quote the critical words of the three Republican senators earlier in the evening. | |
In their news conference, the group had said they feared the House might blindly pass any version of the bill, "just because we have to get something done". | |
"I'm not going to vote for a bill that is terrible policy and horrible politics," Senator Graham said. | "I'm not going to vote for a bill that is terrible policy and horrible politics," Senator Graham said. |
"Just give us the assurance that whatever we pass tonight will go to conference, so the good ideas... can get scored and have a chance to be argued," Senator Johnson said. | "Just give us the assurance that whatever we pass tonight will go to conference, so the good ideas... can get scored and have a chance to be argued," Senator Johnson said. |
The proposed health care freedom act is being referred to as a "skinny bill" - a cut-down version of the previous attempt, which would scale back some of the more controversial parts of Obamacare. | |
But some politicians are dissatisfied with the so-called skinny bill. | But some politicians are dissatisfied with the so-called skinny bill. |
"The skinny bill as policy is a disaster," Senator Graham said. | "The skinny bill as policy is a disaster," Senator Graham said. |
"I'd rather get of out of the way and have it collapse," he added, "than have a half-assed approach where it is now our problem." | "I'd rather get of out of the way and have it collapse," he added, "than have a half-assed approach where it is now our problem." |
The Senate is expected to work through the night on the healthcare bill. | The Senate is expected to work through the night on the healthcare bill. |
Before it voted down the House version of the bill, President Donald Trump had urged senators to pass a bill - without indicating which one he supported. | Before it voted down the House version of the bill, President Donald Trump had urged senators to pass a bill - without indicating which one he supported. |