Thank John McCain’s surgery for delay in health care vote
Jul 17, 2017, 7:47 AM | Updated: 7:49 am
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
A health care vote will have to wait, this time because Sen. John McCain is recovering from minor surgery.
RELATED: A rebuttal to the GOP health care bill
But the net result is that it creates more time for second thoughts among Republicans.
Sen. Susan Collins just wants to start over, otherwise you’re making the same mistake the Democrats made when they passed Obamacare without the Republicans.
“The way to do that is through the normal process of committee hearings, expert witnesses, and writing a bill with bi-partisan support.”
You have Rand Paul taking the libertarian approach:
“My idea always was to replace it with freedom. Legalize choice. Legalize inexpensive insurance. Allow people to join associations to buy their insurance. I’m still for all of those and I think those could be part of clean repeal…”
It sounds more and more like health care reform may not be able to pass unless the Democrats get involved. The problem is, that if Congress goes that route, it would violate one of President Trump’s key campaign promises.
Here’s Scott Lucas who studies American politics at Britain’s University of Birmingham:
“They staked their whole campaign to their political legitimacy … on getting repealed Obamacare. If you work with Democrats that’s not going to happen.”
He adds that by refusing to have public hearings on the bill or have a public bill drafting session, they risked alienating some of their own people.
“And now, it’s coming back to haunt them.”
Rand Paul is still holding out for the president to jump into this.
But even the president’s point man — Health and Human Service Secretary Tom Price — wasn’t talking repeal and replace anymore.
“This is a system that is crying out for reform and revision,” he said.
Reform and revision.
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