According to a breaking news report from The New York Times, the GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act is now effectively dead after two Republicans announced they’d oppose the Senate’s bill.
The announcements from Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas leave GOP leaders two votes short of the total necessary to begin debate on the bill. The Times also reports that two other Republican senators, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine, “had already said they would not support a procedural step to begin debate.”
“There are serious problems with Obamacare, and my goal remains what it has been for a long time: to repeal and replace it,” Mr. Moran said in a statement, adding that the Senate’s bill “failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act or address health care’s rising costs.”
Can't wait to cover secret unveiling of McConnell's new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new health bill in 2 weeks
— Matt Laslo (@MattLaslo) July 18, 2017
Lee said in his statement that in addition to not repealing all of the Obamacare taxes, the bill “doesn’t go far enough in lowering premiums for middle class families; nor does it create enough free space from the most costly Obamacare regulations.”
In the wake of the news, Democrats are urging Republicans to make healthcare reform a more bipartisan effort.
“This second failure of Trumpcare is proof positive that the core of this bill is unworkable,” Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer (NY) said, according to the Times. “Rather than repeating the same failed, partisan process yet again, Republicans should start from scratch and work with Democrats on a bill that lowers premiums, provides long-term stability to the markets and improves our health care system.”
From The New York Times:
[Mitch McConnell] has now failed twice in recent weeks to keep his caucus together for a planned vote. He first wanted to hold a vote in late June, only to postpone it after running into opposition.
With this latest failure, many are wondering if Trumpcare is dead once and for all.
Featured image via Gage Skidmore (Flickr)
