Options at this point:
1. Respond to the polling, let Obamacare die, and then swoop in to fix it.
Possible Problem - Republicans get blamed for Obamacare's failure because they didn't pass a bill and Democrats come in.
2. Pass the bill. The conservatives may have to compromise and realize this is the best they can get for now from a conservative standpoint because this could go the other way.
Possible Problem - The Republicans now own the bill, and the media has the narrative. Every single sad case will be exploited, and that could help the Democrats.
3. Put together a great bill with all the free market solutions (the type of bill that will require 60 votes), so it doesn't have to be done in phases (people are skeptical of phases getting through). Keep the Medicaid in place (this takes all the left's arguments away) and subsidies for poor and elderly for the time being. Hopefully, the free market solutions will kick in and lower the costs. This completely takes the Democrat complaints away. Put it before a vote, Dems don't vote for it, it bombs, it's on the Dems.
Possible Problem - Again, it's still possible the media will contend that it bombed but that the Republican bill is worse than Obamacare. Republicans get the blame for not getting healthcare done. Dems get in, and we have no chance to do anything.
Smells like wishful thinking by fake news NY SLIMES.
Uh, it doesn’t repeal....
They should flat out repeal it then have bipartisanship to add back what they want piece by piece.
They will never have bipartisanship without completely selling out to Democrats otherwise.
The Turtle can actually be a shrewd operator at times. He just threw down the gauntlet in front of Cruz, Lee, Rand, et al: get on board or I’ll do what I have to to get Democratic votes.
Sen. Shelly Moor Capito (Q* WV) said today she will not vote for the bill as written.
Note, nearly 10% of the population of WV, 172,605 are on Expanded Medicaid. These people for the most part call it “Obamacare” and think of it as such. They fear losing it if the Senate bill is passed. (They wouldn’t) Capito, a windsock if ever there was one, has been inundated with calls to vote “NO”.....and so she will.
* Q....Quisling
It’s a toughie.
Allow up to 50% surcharge for ALL pre-existing conditions (not just for smoking) is a good idea.
No one is hurt badly and it is more fair, will result in lower premiums for most.
BTW: Fake News from the NYTimes of course.
Republicans only know capitulation. The agreement should be a full repeal and start over. If they aren’t willing to start over then No deal
And predictably, as ever, they have actually accomplished absolutely nothing. What a bunch of crooks.
Rush excerpt: Try this thought. Did Mitch McConnell put a Trojan bill, Trojan horse in front of the CBO? In other words, did he purposely write a bill that would create this CBO score? (imitating whiny lib) “Your bill is going to cost $22 billion and cost 400 million lives” or whatever it says. So that he could learn why and how they scored it the way they did.
https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2017/06/28/my-theory-on-mcconnell-is-all-the-rage/
I don’t understand what is wrong with repealing this turkey and passing laws that would serve the majority of the people. I am so tired of being swindled by the RINOs.