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July 27, 2017 03:21 PM UTC

Graham, McCain, and Friends Throw Wrench in "Skinny Repeal" Plan

  • 19 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: Here’s a more in-depth summary of today’s press conference via CNN:

As of Thursday afternoon, the text of the Republican bill that would scrap Obamacare’s individual and employer mandates remained unseen by senators or the public, but it was discussed during a closed-door lunch and an outline of it has been circulating among lawmakers and lobbyists.

The GOP’s overwhelming strategy on Thursday: get a bill passed and get to a conference with the House. At that point, leaders would continue negotiations in the hopes of reaching an improved bill that can provide a long-awaited legislative victory to the party and President Donald Trump.

But many Republican senators simply do not view the “skinny bill” as good policy. In fact, a series of senators on Thursday openly insisted that they did not want the House to pass the Senate’s proposal.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said he needs assurances that the bill will go to conference and described this as a “trust but verify” scenario with GOP leadership.

—–

A group of Republican Senators held a press conference this afternoon to express concerns about rumors that a “Skinny Repeal” bill would be immediately heard by the House and rushed forward before a “Conference Committee” could be convened between the two chambers. Big names, including Sen. Lindsay Graham, Sen. John McCain, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), did not mince words in demanding a guarantee that a “Skinny Bill” would NOT become law as it is currently written.

“I can tell you right now, the ‘Skinny Bill’ doesn’t work for any state,” said Graham. “It’s not a replacement. Politically, it would be the dumbest thing in history to…collapse the insurance market.”

Graham went on to call the “Skinny Bill” a “fraud” and a “disaster.”

Comments

19 thoughts on “Graham, McCain, and Friends Throw Wrench in “Skinny Repeal” Plan

  1. How deep is this rabbit hole?  

    Someone's gotta' explain to me, please, why Graham would even consider voting "yea" to a bill he doesn't want to become law?  (Don't these people have a "nay" button anymore?  Did they lose their user operating instructions?  What?) . . . 

    1. Dio, it's convoluted……

      They are pitching this steaming turd as simply a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Meaning that if senators vote for it, it will go to a conference committee where a council of wise reps and senators will craft a beautiful piece of legislation. Hence, the reference to voting for it only if there is a guarantee it will not become something more than a vehicle to get to a conference committee.

      The problem is that there is a real possibility that the House may accept it – no questions asked. (Recall, when the Dems lost their 60-seat majority in Senate with the addition of Scott Brown, the House had to agree to the Senate version of A.C.A.)

      Graham and McCain apparently recognize this. Kevin McCarthy probably didn't help his cause by telegraphing that the House might convene to pass the skinny bill.

  2. Where's Moldy or Gerbils to explain how voting to deny tens of millions healthcare, and cause insurance rates to explode for the rest of us, along with higher deductibles and lower coverage, is the most reasonable, patriotic duty a GOP senator could do?

    Afterall, we do realize it is our duty to suffer and die in service to our masters and lords who will likely barely notice the tax cut bonuses they'll get in return.  Death well spent according to today's GOP…

    Have I got that about right, Gerbils?  

  3. Those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first torment………

    So we were cursing McCain for voting to open debate on the repeal and/or replace bills two days ago. But now he's extracting his revenge on Trump and McConnell by driving a stake through their most promising piece of legislation.

    And Lindsey "Blanche duBois" Graham is enjoying the moment, recalling not-so-fondly the time Trump put Graham's personal cellphone number out for public consumption.

    1. Yeah, except they could have put the whole mess to bed by voting against opening debate. At the end of the day, Graham and McCain will vote for whatever POS comes before them.

  4. After initially hedging on whether he could guarantee that the House will reject a Senate-passed skinny repeal bill, DJ Paul Ryan has now said that they won't pass it but go to conference committee. (He was probably assisted by the promise from Mark Meadow of Free Dumb Caucus that he will not accept the skinny bill. If these nut cases are against it, it's guaranteed not to pass.)

    Ryan also said that whatever a conference committee produces must first clear the Senate before he will bring it up in the House. Apparently, he doesn't want to put Mike Coffman and some of his other members in harm's way needlessly.

    I guess this means it’s safe for Lindsey and McCain to vote for it.

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/27/politics/health-care-debate-thursday/index.html

  5. Blanche duBois Graham, after a case of the vapors, has now decided to vote "yes" on the bill he hopes will not pass the House because it's a "fraud." He said he did not how his BFF, McCain, will vote, but that McCain "has earned the right to do what he wants to do."

     

  6. The GOP is proving to be the party of irresponsible, irrational, hypocritical, lying fanatics with no clue or concern about governing — their only priority appears to be the End Times destruction of themselves and as many innocent lives as they can take with them.

  7. Republican health care bill fails, as it should. Ryan/McConnell leadership has been a total failure for all Americans. For seven years these film-flam men and women who call themselves Republicans have been derelict in their duty. Democrats are no different. As a voter, every incumbent Democrat and Republican deserves a primary challenge for 2018. Especially Mike Coffman, a member of the Tuesday Study Group who studied everything except health care for seven years. These people represent the views of lobbyists and mega donors, not the Citizens whom they claim to represent.

    The government has become so powerful that the individual has no voice. Only by joining a special interest group does your view get traction. However there is no special interest group that represents the American People. 

    If you give a single dollar to the RNC or DNC you perpetuate the "Rulling Class". Stop giving money to people who will use it against you.

    1. So PP is a moderate, centrist Republican, bemoaning how the radicals have not come up with anything practical for seven years. Whoda thunk it?

      Sounds like you're disappointed that they couldn't come up with a workable health plan – but really, that was never their agenda. If you're honest, you'll admit that all they ever wanted was that big tax cut and to sabotage Obama's legacy. Providing a means to a healthier America was never even on the table. I would agree with you that even the moderate Republicans represent lobbyists and mega donors. Insurance companies and Big Pharma had a lock on the outcome of health legislation from 1/20/17 on.

      I'm not a fan of the DNC, let alone the RNC. I would disagree that they are all representing mega donors, not the American people. As it turns out, very little national money goes to local candidates or causes – so that's where I put my money and energy.

      I'm sure I'm still a KOOK in your estimation (like I care). I'll remain skeptical to see if this is just a phase, or the latest downloaded talking point, and which "special interest group" you will now join to get traction.

      1. PP is simply trying a different tactic to create distraction for the liberals on this site. His latent support for Trumpism runs through his entire comment.

        1. MJ,

          The political system is corrupt, Democrat and Republican and it can never be fixed. I seem to identify with Republican form of corruption while you identify with Democratic form of corruption.

          The Supreme Court ruled that money is speech and that will not change. If I could make one change it would be this. Any contribution made to a PAC or Party such as DNC or RNC would be taxed at a rate of 100%. Any contribution made directly to a candidate would receive some type of tax preference. Any money transferred from one candidate to another candidate or PAC or Party would be taxed at 100%. Make the big spenders have to buy the individual politicians instead of just a few in DC.

          Will you join with me to support the idea that every Federal  incumbent office holder should have a primary challenge.

          Yes you are a KOOK, not a bad person, but your economic policies and ideas will hurt the people you want to help and not provide them a means to succeed in the future as most of us strive to do. 

          Anything that can be done to disrupt the system to the disadvantage of the elite ruling class I'm interested. That's why people, including me, voted for Trump.

          Whenever I get to feeling down I run the You Tube coverage of the election, and I'm good to go.

          I noticed that Banger chimed in, not unexpected. You would think that with all his social and psychology skills and experience he would be better at understanding a person. Not so much.

          1. Bad news, Pear – your "elite ruling class" are all in Trump's cabinet. Every single one of them worked for Goldman Sachs, Wall St, or a Russian bank. Some managed to do all three.

            So much for Trump disrupting the system. All he's doing is breaking laws, rules, and norms for regular order and civil discourse. Not the same thing at all.

            But, you've been royally bamboozled. Someday you'll realize it. In the meantime, at least you're exposing yourself to different points of view, unlike most of your Fox-hypnotized brethren.

            I don't know that a mandatory Federal primary each year would do much besides cost tons of money and waste people's time looking at ads and propaganda. It won't happen – the people trying to run the constitutional conventions want to bring back the "good old days" of segregation, women in their place, and the plantation / company store servitude. All in the name of State's rights. They could give a shit about term limits.

            You want to tax what? Eliminate the tax break for the giver, and tax it as income for the receiver?

            If it was transparent and the public could see who/ what industry is buying which legislator, sure, both should be taxed. At 100%? Wouldn't that actually grow the dreaded Federal government? Are you sure you've thought this through?

            Anyone, feel free to chime in. I'm done here.

             

             

            1. You see, this is why you are a KOOK. Always some bogeyman, Wall Street, Goldman et al, pulling the strings with nefarious intent, when the Democrats have the same ties and more.

              If the Koch Brothers want to give $50,000 to the RNC, their actual outlay would be $50,000 to RNC and $50,000 tax to the Federal government. If Bros. wanted to give Powerful Pear $50,000 for my campaign, their outlay would be $50,000 minus some tax incentive. If the Pear campaign wanted to give $50,000 to the MJ campaign it would cost Pear $50,000 plus Federal tax of $50,000. Stop the flow of money to the Party apparatus and you will go a long way to  elected officials actually representing constituents.

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