It will kill...

Senate GOP to bring Obamacare repeal bill out of the shadows

After weeks of work behind closed doors, the GOP will release its plan and try to find the votes to pass it.

By BURGESS EVERETT , JENNIFER HABERKORN and ADAM CANCRYN

It’s go-time for Senate Republicans’ attempt to repeal Obamacare.

The 52-member caucus on Thursday morning was receiving a comprehensive presentation on the GOP proposal, so that no senators can further complain that they’ve been kept in the dark.

The broad contours of the bill — which will dismantle Obamacare and set up a new health system that affects one-sixth of the U.S. economy and millions of Americans — have come into focus in recent days. Most GOP senators have a working knowledge of what the bill would do.

But now Republicans have to begin the work to pass the thing. Since Democrats are unified in their opposition, Republicans are using a fast-track process that can evade filibusters. Thursday’s meeting will be the “start of the process” of getting the 50 requisite votes, said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas).

“We’ve been talking about these concepts for a long time. This is an attempt to bring us to … how we resolve the differences and achieve consensus. I think it’s going to be very detailed,” Cornyn said.

It won’t immediately be clear if Cornyn and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have the votes until sometime next week, after a Congressional Budget Office analysis illustrates how many fewer Americans are likely to be insured by the bill and answers the crucial political question of whether premiums would be reduced.

Republicans are hoping for broader buy-in from the healthcare industry Thursday than the House bill received, some senators said. The nation's top health insurance lobbyist was spotted in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office Wednesday afternoon. Marilyn Tavenner, the head of America's Health Insurance Plans, declined to comment on the meeting.

Republicans also said they expected the bulk of the caucus will endorse the bill immediately, with leadership allies expected to give the legislation a quick jolt of momentum.

“We’ll have some people who will say: ‘I’ll vote for it immediately,’ because they realize that failing to do anything will be very disastrous for the people that are hurt by the meltdown of Obamacare,” Cornyn said. “Others are going to have specific concerns that we’re going to have to talk our way though.”

Indeed, conservatives, moderates and senators from Medicaid expansion states all remained on the fence going into the meeting. And the lack of specificity gave them cover to keep their feelings about the bill private.

“Today I don’t know anything more than I knew yesterday. And so [Thursday] I’m going to know so much more and I’m going to have better responses to all of your questions,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a key moderate swing vote.

Still, the cajoling had already begun in earnest after Wednesday’s lunch, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) spotted working Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) during an afternoon vote. And President Donald Trump dialed up Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday to take his temperature.

The bill is expected to repeal Obamacare’s mandates and Medicaid expansion and impose significant cuts to the long-term Medicaid program. Republicans also want to reshape the Obamacare insurance subsidies to help low-income people buy insurance, but it is still unclear whether additional language to prohibit those plans from covering abortion will be allowed under Senate rules.

There are still many unanswered questions. Republicans want to defund Planned Parenthood for one year and repeal Obamacare’s taxes but those could change based on funding and political calculations. The proposal, which is being called a discussion draft, is expected to change before next week’s vote as senators engage in last-minute negotiations on the legislation.

Republicans plan to allow states to opt out of some of Obamacare’s insurance requirements, including one requiring states to have an exchange, as well as rules for what benefits insurers must cover, what qualifies as a health plan, and the actuarial value of the plans.

The bill is not expected to allow states to waive Obamacare requirements that insurers accept everyone and charge the same rates, with few exceptions. The House waived the latter requirement, triggering a storm of criticism that it was abandoning people with pre-existing conditions. Keeping those Obamacare requirements would mark a victory for GOP moderates but prompt pushback from conservatives, who want the waiver to be broader and allow more exclusions.