Senate GOP leader: Vote on secret ObamaCare repeal bill expected next week

Senate Republicans are planning to vote next week on their bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare, according to Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).

“I believe we’re going to vote before the Fourth of July recess on a healthcare plan, a repeal and replacement of ObamaCare,” Barrasso, a member of GOP leadership, said on Fox News.

“Every Republican is trying to get to yes,” Barrasso said while noting, “There are some differences of opinion on specific details of this.”

The vote by the end of the month was expected, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wants to move quickly on healthcare and get on to other issues.

The timeline is fast, though, given that lawmakers and the public have not yet seen the text of a bill. That could come later this week.

Republicans have already sent pieces of a bill to the Congressional Budget Office, but the CBO will have to issue an analysis, known as a score, once the bill comes together.

It remains unclear if Republicans have the votes to pass the bill. There is no deal yet on a range of contentious issues, ranging from phasing out ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion to repealing pre-existing condition rules.

Senate Republicans are considering even deeper cuts to Medicaid than the House bill, which could repel some moderates.

Source: The Hill