The only thing that is certain about what will happen if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can move forward for debate on health care is that nobody knows what is going to happen next, but chaos is expected.
It looks like McConnell may have scrounged up the 50 votes to move forward on health care:
With Heller and Paul on-board — 2 of toughest votes — are 2 more really going to oppose it at last moment?
And with McCain coming back?
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— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) July 25, 2017
Sens. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Rand Paul (R-KY) are supporting the motion to move forward.
Paul is supporting it because he is going to get a chance to vote on only repealing Obamacare:
Two votes, he said. One on leadership designed repeal and replace and one on "clean repeal" https://t.co/sLiXf6jJgr
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) July 25, 2017
No one knows if any of these bills can actually pass, or what the Republicans will be voting on, but it seems that they want to move forward with something, even if nobody knows what that is.
If this sounds like a terrible way to mess with one sixth of the US economy, you’re right.
Policymaking on the fly with no clear plan never ends well.
There is a lot of talk of a “skinny” repeal bill that would end the mandates and only throw 15 million off of their health insurance. The skinny repeal that involves cutting taxes in the ACA would cost the government money and possibly violate the rules under reconciliation.
All Senate Republican will accomplish if they open debate is buying themselves more time.
It is going to be chaos from this point forward, so if you care about healthcare call your Senator today, tomorrow, and every day that follows until the ACA is saved.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association