Some Republicans Keep Low Profile To Avoid Fireworks From Constituents Over Health Bill
Lawmakers are home for recess and some are ducking out of public events so as not to incur their voters' wrath over the legislation.
The New York Times:
Senate Republicans Lay Low On The Fourth, Or Face Single-Minded Pressure
It is a tough summer for Senate Republicans, who are trying to combine a long-promised repeal of the Affordable Care Act with a replacement that has, in legislation drafted so far, been as popular as sunburn. Protesters have held sit-ins at Senate offices, phone lines have been jammed and editorial writers have blasted their states’ congressional delegations. Planes have even flown admonitory, if occasionally poorly conceived, banners over state capitals. Republican senators have had to decide whether public appearances would be fruitful or the crowds hostile. Many lawmakers seem to have given up on town hall-style meetings and parades. Others are still braving them, knowing they may get an earful on the health care bills. (Robertson, Philipps, Bidgood and Cochrane, 7/4)
The New York Times:
For Millions, Life Without Medicaid Services Is No Option
Frances Isbell has spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder that has left her unable to walk or even roll over in bed. But Ms. Isbell has a personal care assistant through Medicaid, and the help allowed her to go to law school at the University of Alabama here. She will graduate next month. She hopes to become a disability rights lawyer — “I’d love to see her on the Supreme Court someday,” her aide, Christy Robertson, said, tearing up with emotion as Ms. Isbell prepared to study for the bar exam in her apartment last week — but staying independent will be crucial to her professional future. (Goodnough, 7/1)
The New York Times:
$45 Billion To Fight Opioid Abuse? That’s Much Too Little, Experts Say
The Senate leadership’s efforts to salvage the Republican health care bill have focused in part on adding $45 billion for states to spend on opioid addiction treatment. That is a big pot of money. But addiction specialists said it was drastically short of what would be needed to make up for the legislation’s deep cuts to Medicaid, which has provided treatment for hundreds of thousands of people caught up in a national epidemic of opioid abuse. (Goodnough, 6/30)
The New York Times:
Trump Backers ‘Furious’ That Senator Stood Against Health Care Bill
Senator Dean Heller’s biting denunciation of the Republican health care bill last week infuriated the White House and helped unravel his party’s attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act days before a vote was expected in the Senate. Now Mr. Heller is facing an intense backlash in Nevada, his home state, where there is talk of a primary race challenge against him next year and a pair of the state’s wealthiest Republican donors are fuming. (Martin and Vogel, 6/30)
The Wall Street Journal:
Republican Senators Face Pushback From Governors On The Health Bill
Republican senators back home on recess this week are hearing from some influential critics of their health-law effort: GOP governors, many of whom are urging them to push back on the legislation because it would cut Medicaid funding. (Peterson and Hackman, 7/3)
Politico:
Nevada Governor Wields Outsize Clout In Obamacare Repeal Debate
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval may as well be the Senate’s 53rd Republican. GOP leaders are trying to win over the popular moderate and outspoken Obamacare repeal critic, believing his strong influence over Sen. Dean Heller in the health care debate could get them one vote closer to victory. (Haberkorn and Pradhan, 7/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Meet The 6 Governors Leading The Charge Against The Senate Health Plan
The Senate GOP healthcare bill would cut Medicaid spending by $772 billion over the next decade, leaving millions of low-income people uninsured in states where Medicaid was expanded under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. The governors from states that took advantage of the Medicaid expansion have worked together in crafting letters, holding teleconferences with reporters and hosting private meetings with members of Congress. (Lee, 7/2)
The Washington Post:
Trump Administration Remains Confident Health-Care Bill Will Pass
Top Trump administration officials insisted Sunday that the odds of passing health-care legislation when the Senate returns to Washington next week remain high, but others in the GOP charged that the bill’s problems require more than a quick fix. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and White House legislative affairs director Marc Short are fighting off a tide of discontent that has been exacerbated in recent days by President Trump’s tweet that the Senate could simply repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it later if it cannot pass the pending measure. (Demirjian, 7/2)
The Wall Street Journal:
What To Expect As Health-Law Debate Moves Forward
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has delayed until after the July 4 congressional recess a vote on the Senate Republican bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That means that when Congress returns next week, a vote could happen soon after if negotiations on changes to the bill are successful. The timing will depend on when lawmakers get an updated nonpartisan analysis of the latest version of the bill. Here’s what to expect as the debate moves forward. (Jamerson, 7/4)
NPR:
GOP Health Bill Might Bring Back Lifetime Caps On Insurance Coverage
The health care legislation under discussion in the Senate could allow states to remove some of the Affordable Care Act's consumer protections — including the prohibition that keeps insurers from limiting how much they'll pay for medically needy, expensive patients. Clara Hardy's parents worry about the Senate bill for just this reason. (Olgin, 6/30)