Republican Senators Vow to ‘Press On’ With Healthcare Bill at Debate

Just hours after a third Republican senator came out against the latest healthcare proposal, all but guaranteeing its defeat, GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy defended it during a televised debate with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar on CNN. Graham and Cassidy, the namesakes of the latest Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, spent the night repeating their talking points about the law signed by President Obama in 2010. “It’s about Obamacare failing,” Graham said. “It’s not working and it’s never going to work.” But the Graham-Cassidy bill was on thin ice as of Monday night. Protests marred a hearing on the bill before the Senate Finance Committee. A preliminary Congressional Budget Office analysis estimated that the deficit would be reduced by $133 million between 2017 and 2026, but noted that millions would lose insurance. Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ decision to vote “no” on the bill, along with Sens. John McCain and Rand Paul, meant that the GOP majority in the upper chamber lacks the votes needed to pass the bill on a simple majority basis before a Sept. 30 deadline. But at Monday night’s debate, Graham vowed to “press on.” “We’re going to press on,” he said. “It’s OK to vote, it’s OK to fall short if you do for an idea you believe in.” Every Senator on the CNN stage Monday night agreed that ...
Source: TIME: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Affordable Care Act Bill Cassidy Congress Donald Trump Healthcare John McCain Lindsey Graham Obamacare Senate White House Source Type: news