The GOPâs Unpredictable Path to Health Care Repeal in 2018
Graham
Even after Senate Republicans scrapped the vote on  the Graham-Cassidy bill  this week  lead  sponsor Sen. Lindsey Graham  R-S.C.   said  he  remains optimistic about the legislation eventually passing because the missing votes were âactually more about process than substance.â
âWith more hearings  with regular order  weâre going to get 50 votes â  Graham  said during a press conference Tuesday. âWeâre going to fulfill our promise.â
Former Sen. Rick Santorum  who has for some reason or another partnered with  Graham  in this effort  told The Intercept on Tuesday afternoon that  he  is confident Sen. Lisa Murkowski  a key Republican holdout from Alaska  will come around next year if  the bill  goes through the normal committee process. âI know having talked to Lisa just a couple hours ago  she thinks itâs a good idea and she thinks the idea will stand up under public scrutiny  and it makes it an easier vote for everybody â  he  said.
 Graham  and  his  co-conspirators previously said  they  would demand that tax cuts and health care reform be lumped together if  they  failed to make headway on health care in September. But on Tuesday   Graham  changed course  saying  he  is now willing to let tax reform go ahead on its own because  he  had been unaware how complex tying the two together would be. Then  in the spring   Graham  said   he  will insist on a new budget resolution that allows for another crack at repeal using a 50-vote threshold â what is called budget reconciliation in the Senate.
In her statement released after the bill was officially yanked from the floor  Murkowski did indeed express openness to the framework Graham and co-sponsor Sen. Bill Cassidy had constructed. âI recognize the status quo with health care in this country is unacceptable. Giving control back to the states and flexibility are ideas I can get behind â she said. âBut substance matters and the ability to validate data matters.â
This is where it gets macabre. McCain  a key ânoâ vote  is living with a brain cancer diagnosis that is nearly always fatal. The same cancer took the life of his good friend  Sen. Ted Kennedy  and almost upended the push to pass the Affordable Care Act  after Scott Brown filled his seat. Were McCain to lose his battle with cancer  Arizonaâs GOP governor would appoint a Republican rubber stamp. Depending on the circumstances  some Republicans  such as McCainâs best friend Graham  may oppose rushing forward with repeal on pure human decency grounds.
[TGT] said   [TGT]   remains optimistic about the legislation eventually passing because the missing votes were âactually more about process than substance.â
âWith more hearings  with regular order  weâre going to get 50 votes â   [TGT] said during a press conference Tuesday. âWeâre going to fulfill our promise.â
Former Sen. Rick Santorum  who has for some reason or another partnered with   [TGT] in this effort  told The Intercept on Tuesday afternoon that   [TGT]   is confident Sen. Lisa Murkowski  a key Republican holdout from Alaska  will come around next year if   [TGT] goes through the normal committee process. âI know having talked to Lisa just a couple hours ago  she thinks itâs a good idea and she thinks the idea will stand up under public scrutiny  and it makes it an easier vote for everybody â  he  said.
  [TGT] and   [TGT]   co-conspirators previously said  they  would demand that tax cuts and health care reform be lumped together if  they  failed to make headway on health care in September. But on Tuesday    [TGT] changed course  saying   [TGT]   is now willing to let tax reform go ahead on its own because   [TGT]   had been unaware how complex tying the two together would be. Then  in the spring    [TGT] said    [TGT]   will insist on a new budget resolution that allows for another crack at repeal using a 50-vote threshold â what is called budget reconciliation in the Senate.
In her statement released after the bill was officially yanked from the floor  Murkowski did indeed express openness to the framework  [TGT]  and co-sponsor Sen. Bill Cassidy had constructed. âI recognize the status quo with health care in this country is unacceptable. Giving control back to the states and flexibility are ideas I can get behind â she said. âBut substance matters and the ability to validate data matters.â
This is where it gets macabre. McCain  a key ânoâ vote  is living with a brain cancer diagnosis that is nearly always fatal. The same cancer took the life of his good friend  Sen. Ted Kennedy  and almost upended the push to pass the Affordable Care Act  after Scott Brown filled his seat. Were McCain to lose his battle with cancer  Arizonaâs GOP governor would appoint a Republican rubber stamp. Depending on the circumstances  some Republicans  such as McCainâs best friend Graham  may oppose rushing forward with repeal on pure human decency grounds.