Health Care Bill Update: Senate Calls for Delay to Save Measure
Republican legislators have expressed concern that the new health care bill proposed by the Senate might not make it through before the House adjourns for a recess on July 4. Critics of the bill continue to hold out on the measure, as time runs out for the Obamacare replacement.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought out the new proposed bill on Thursday, June 22. The new measure has been criticized as having been written behind closed doors, with little oversight from the rest of the legislative body, according to CNN.
As such, critics of the bill has emerged from both sides of the floor and has made passage of the measure a complicated task with just one week to go. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, in an interview with ABC, noted that securing her vote will not be a simple matter.
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"It's certainly going to be very difficult," she said, referring to McConell and the Trump administration's effort to get her onboard.
"For my part, I'm very concerned about the cost of insurance for older people with serious chronic illnesses and the impact of the Medicaid cuts on our state governments, the most vulnerable people in our society, and health care providers such as our rural hospitals and nursing homes, most of whom are very dependent on the Medicaid program," she explained at length.
Meanwhile, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin would like to ask for more time to evaluate the measure before he can commit to its support. "I would like to delay the thing," Johnson said.
"There's no way we should be voting on this next week. No way," he stated, given the current progress made on passing the bill.
Other legislators look to be in agreement, as well. Collins noted that the U.S. Senate could continue working on the amendment of the bill. She added that her final decision could rest on the assessment being made by the Congressional Budget Office.
