The Senate will not vote on the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act before the July 4 recess. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, informed his Republican colleagues at a June 27 lunch, according to multiple news outlets.
“We’re going to continue the discussions within our conference on the differences that we have that we’re continuing to try to litigate,” McConnell told reporters. “Consequently, we will not be (voting) on the bill this week, but we’re still working toward getting at least 50 people in a comfortable place.”
A number of senators expressed concerns about the bill, titled the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, led criticism from the right for the bill not going far enough in eliminating cost-sharing reduction subsidies to insurers. Meanwhile, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Dean Heller, R-Nevada, object to the bill from more centrist positions.
The BCRA, released to the public June 22, appeared to stall early in the week, when the Congressional Budget Office’s report projected an increase of 22 million uninsured Americans, along with skyrocketing premiums and deductible for many.
Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.