Senators plotting Plan B on ACA replacement
While a Republican-only group of U.S. Senators is crafting a version of an Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal-and-replace plan, another group of lawmakers is working on a backup plan—one that involves Democrats having a hand in the legislation.
POLITICO reports that Senate Republicans are pursuing “back-channel” talks on a “bipartisan” bill, noting the long odds of passing a reworked version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) through the Senate and then getting the more conservative House to agree to the changes.
“I really want us to have a bipartisan bill. I just think will be so much better. And we have better ideas," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is sponsoring a more moderate ACA replacement plan. "So that’s my goal. You end up with a better bill, [and] you end up with better acceptance by the public.”
Party leaders, however, aren’t seeking cooperation, with Republicans focused on threading the needle with a bill that can pass with only a vote or two to spare, and Democrats being urged to withhold cooperation until the legislation isn’t described as a “repeal” of the ACA.
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John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.