As ‘Hot Potato’ Lands In The Senate, Republicans Plan To Write More Palatable Version
"We want to get it right," Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said on the Senate floor. "There will be no artificial deadlines." But the GOP's narrow control of the chamber will complicate efforts to draft a bill.
The New York Times:
The Next Step For The Republican Health Care Bill: A Skeptical Senate
As House Republicans on Thursday shoved their health care bill across the finish line, stuffing it with amendments and extra dollars to secure a hard-won majority, the lawmakers who will inherit the legislation delivered their own message from across the Capitol: That’s cute. On the Senate side, where several Republicans have long been deeply skeptical of the House effort, the bill is expected to undergo sweeping changes that might leave it unrecognizable — perhaps stripping away some of the provisions that helped earn the support of hard-right House members and ultimately secure its passage. (Flegenheimer, 5/4)
The Associated Press:
House Repeal Of 'Obamacare' Hands Hot Potato To Wary Senate
Senators are already talking about preventing some of the House bill's Medicaid cuts. Some don't like its easing of Obama coverage requirements on insurers, and others think its tax credits must be redirected toward lower-income people. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah says senators must focus "on the art of the doable." (5/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Senators Set To Write Their Own Version Of The GOP Health Bill
GOP senators are clashing over central provisions of the House version, and Republicans’ slim majority in the chamber arguably gives them even less room for error than House lawmakers had. Republicans from states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are resisting the House bill’s steep Medicaid cuts, for example. GOP centrists are uncomfortable with letting states waive the ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions. Other Republicans say the bill should do more to help older Americans with their health bills. (Hackman and Armour, 5/4)
USA Today:
On Health Care, The Senate Is Likely To Start Over
The Senate will review the House bill but will write its own version over the next few weeks, said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "We want to get it right," Alexander said Thursday on the Senate floor. "There will be no artificial deadlines. "If the Senate passes its own bill, the House will either have to approve the Senate version or negotiate a compromise with senators, Alexander said. (Kelly, 5/4)
Politico:
Senate GOP Rejects House Obamacare Bill
They need to end up with a bill that can win over 50 of the 52 GOP senators in the narrowly divided chamber. And even if they accomplish that, their bill could be unpalatable to House conservatives. The House bill squeaked through on a 217-213 vote. The two chambers have not coordinated much in recent weeks as the House — with an assist from the White House — frantically worked to kick the health care bill to the other side of the Capitol. Senate Republicans say they’ll take the time they need to understand the House bill’s ramifications. And they will insist on a score from the Congressional Budget Office before voting, unlike the House. (Everett and Haberkorn, 5/4)
The Hill:
No. 2 Senate Republican: 'No Timeline' On ObamaCare Replacement Bill
Senate Republicans are signaling they are in no hurry to move legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare after it passed the House Thursday. “There is no timeline,” Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, said when he was asked about a schedule for when the Senate could move a bill. (Carney, 5/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
14 Players To Watch In Senate’s Health-Care Overhaul
The Senate becomes the arena for debating changes to the nation’s health-insurance system, now that the House has passed its overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. Here are some of the senators who will affect the course of the overhaul legislation, with the roles they play in the chamber. (Peterson, Hackman and Radnofsky, 5/5)
Bloomberg:
Senate GOP To Snub House Obamacare Repeal Bill And Write Its Own
Several moderate Republicans have been demanding a more sweeping rewrite of the House bill to ensure more people get covered and premiums come down. A number of moderates were unhappy with a Congressional Budget Office estimate showing an earlier version of the House measure would have resulted in 24 million more people without insurance within a decade. That wing is led by Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a doctor who worked for decades in a charity hospital, and Collins, who together crafted a more moderate plan that kept the Affordable Care Act’s taxes in place instead of repealing them. (Dennis and Litvan, 5/4)