Newsflash for Republican "lawmakers:" Yes, making a law that affects one-sixth of the nation's economy is extremely complex, as is the idea of unwinding that law. So now that the dog that is the Republican Congress has caught the semi-truck that is Obamacare repeal, they're discovering it's hard. "House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) told TPM that some members in the GOP's ranks had been surprised by the complications of repealing and replacing Obamacare." And yes, they are elected members of Congress sent there to make laws.
As this realization dawns, it's hitting particularly hard in the Senate, where a veritable chorus of members is saying "whoa."
The Senate is poised to vote on a budget resolution later this week, the first in a two-step process of rolling back major parts of the Affordable Care Act. At the same time, GOP lawmakers are speaking out with force, concerned about the political backlash if the GOP is perceived as being reckless given that 20 million Americans have health coverage through Obamacare and there's no clear vision or firm timeline for an alternative. […]
Sen. Bob Corker warned fellow Republicans that it would be "problematic," "not very appealing" and "doesn't seem very intelligent" to repeal the law without a replacement. […]
Sen. Rand Paul is emerging as one of the most vocal GOP opponents of voting on a repeal bill before coming up with a replacement package, as he argues that the two votes must happen simultaneously.
For what it's worth (and it's Rand Paul so that might not be saying much), he says popular vote loser Donald Trump agrees with him. But even without Trump's lack of blessing, there are likely not enough votes in the Senate to pass repeal. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has at least seven, maybe as many as 10, members—including a key one, the guy in charge of the committee that would handle replacement legislation—saying that they must have a replacement plan in hand before they repeal. Sure, if pressed not all the naysayers will resist caving to McConnell's pressure, but it will only take a couple to derail it.
This is the result of a united Democratic front being perfectly willing to let Republicans flounder. Republicans are convinced they're on their own here, and will own the resulting disaster if they rush to repeal. Even House Speaker Paul Ryan has acknowledged that reality, a tacit admission that he's been lying every time he bleats about all the plans the Republicans have come up with.