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While Senate Majority Mitch McConnell's next version of Trumpcare remains a secret—we don't know exactly what bribes he's made to the not-extremists or what extremist pieces he's thinking of adding to it—he's worked out the schedule to bring it to the floor by the end of next week. The bill, based on what the Congressional Budget Office has advised on the provisions it has seen, will be released as soon as Thursday for a full CBO score by next Monday, and a vote before next week's end.
However, Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah are already raising hell about it, sending aides out to say that McConnell didn't consider Cruz's plan to allow insurers to sell crappy policies that don't comply with Obamacare regulations as long as they sell one compliant plan—one that all the sick people will end up in, which will drive the costs for it out of control. Cruz and Lee are apparently butt-hurt that McConnell isn't taking the proposal seriously.
Several Republicans said the so-called Consumer Freedom Act was not fully transmitted to CBO before the July Fourth recess, which could result in the incomplete analysis.
A conservative aide familiar with the negotiations said GOP leaders had only sent a summary of the legislation "for reasons unknown to us," leaving supporters to answer other questions for CBO late last week. Allies of leadership, however, argued the conservatives had been unresponsive. […]
The finger-pointing over the amendment's status could have dire implications for the health care bill, which has now soaked up more than two months of the Senate’s time. Cruz, Lee and conservative groups have been pressing for the amendment to be included in the next draft of the Senate’s legislation, arguing that it will lower premiums for most people while still protecting people with pre-existing conditions and supplying them subsidies.
This all could be more kabuki—or McConnell's way of bringing more not-extremist Republicans around to the bill, by making a big show of rejecting Cruz and Lee. It could also be those two being the assholes that they truly are.
Regardless, McConnell still has issues, because Maine Sen. Susan Collins is still sounding like a pretty definite "no" vote. He can only lose two out of the 52 members in his conference and get this passed.
Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence has jumped into the “repeal now, replace whenever” camp, a strategy pretty nearly guaranteed not to get 50 votes. Perhaps Pence thinks he's got the special sauce necessary to bring senators around to that idea. Nobody ever accused him of being a genius.
Nevertheless, McConnell persists. He's lost momentum on ramming this through, but he hasn't lost his determination to do it. Let's help make it an ugly, leadership-ending effort for him.
We delayed Trumpcare—for now. But the GOP leadership is hell-bent on denying health insurance, and is working hard to coerce Republican senators. We need 3 Republicans to stand firm. Call your senator at (202) 224-3121 and tell them “NO DEAL.” Then, tell us how it went.