Senate

Schumer: GOP ObamaCare plan’s ‘third prong’ won’t pass Senate

by Jordain Carney - 03/21/17 11:48 AM ET

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned on Tuesday that Democrats will not support additional healthcare reform legislation as part of the GOP plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

“All Republicans in the House and Senate should hear this. Democrats will not help Republicans repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in one phase, two phases or three phases,” Schumer said.

The GOP plan to nix the Affordable Care Act includes three prongs: the House bill to repeal and replace the law, allowing Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to use regulations to lower costs and then passing additional health reform bills.

{mosads}But the Senate’s top Democrat said on Tuesday that the last two phases are “not going to happen.”

“I can speak with some authority on the third prong. It’s going to require 60 votes,” Schumer said.

Republicans have a 52-seat majority in the Senate, meaning that they could pass the initial repeal bill using “reconciliation,” which can pass with only a simple majority. But any separate bills are expected to need the support of at least eight Democratic senators to break the 60-vote filibuster threshold.

Some GOP senators, who are skeptical of the House bill, have said they do not expect that legislation included in the so-called “third prong” will ever pass. That “third” push is expected to include provisions of the Republican healthcare plan such as selling insurance across state lines.

“Anything placed in so-called ‘bucket three’ will never pass,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told reporters earlier this month.

Quoting Cruz’s comments, Schumer added on Tuesday, “You’re right, Ted.”

“I warned my Republican colleagues once you repeal ACA in this fashion, just ripping it out, having nothing good to put in its place, our healthcare system is going to be too messed up to resuscitate,” he said.

President Trump huddled with House Republicans on Tuesday to pitch the repeal and replacement plan. The House is also expected to vote on some of the additional reform bills this week, with the Senate aiming to take up the repeal legislation by early April.

Tags Chuck Schumer Ted Cruz