Republican Healthcare Bill Fails After New Opposition From Senators
President Donald Trump has long pledged to repeal and replace Obamacare, though not in the first two months as some may think; however, Republican attempts to provide an alternative to the Affordable Care Act have so far failed.
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BBC reports that new opposition came from two Republican senators, which made it difficult for the bill to pass. Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas joined other party opponents including Susan Collins of Maine. According to the news site, the proposed bill left in place Obamacare taxes on higher earners and instilled large cuts for poorer American’s healthcare coverage, leaving neither party happy.
In a statement on his website, Moran explains his decision saying, “We should not put our stamp of approval on bad policy. Furthermore, if we leave the federal government in control of everyday healthcare decisions, it is more likely that our healthcare system will devolve into a single-payer system, which would require a massive federal spending increase. We must now start fresh with an open legislative process to develop innovative solutions that provide greater personal choice, protections for pre-existing conditions, increased access and lower overall costs for Kansans.”
"I believe we must continue to push forward now,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement. “I regret that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failures of Obamacare will not be successful. That doesn’t mean we should give up. We will now try a different way to bring the American people relief from Obamacare — I think we owe them at least that much.”
NBC writes that republican senators lunched at the White House today with President Trump, who urged them to keep working on a solution.
"I'm ready to act," Trump said, according to the news site’s report. "For seven years you promised the American people that you would repeal Obamacare. People are hurting. Inaction is not an option and, frankly, I don't think we should leave town unless we have a health insurance plan, unless we can give our people great health care."
During the meeting, President Trump told the senators a full replacement was required, which is at odds with a Tweet he posted 24 hours prior.
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“Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate. Dems will join in!,” the Tweet reads. Today, however, he claimed there should be more than just a repeal. "The people of this country need more than a repeal. They need a repeal and a replace," NBC reports the president saying.
Next week, a procedural vote on the bill will be held. ABC reports that to pass, 50 Republican senators must vote yes to keep the debate going about the health care plan, which was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year.
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