Senate Democrats: ObamaCare repeal fight isn’t over yet

Senate Democrats are warning supporters that the fight to repeal and replace ObamaCare isn’t over, even after Republicans delayed a vote on their bill until next month.

“Over the next couple of weeks, we know that Leader [Mitch] McConnell will try to use a slush fund to buy off Republicans, cut back-room deals, to try and get this thing done,” Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters on Tuesday.

He added that Democrats aren’t “resting on any laurels, nor, do we feel any sense yet of accomplishment, other than we are making progress.”

{mosads}Schumer’s remarks were echoed across his 48-member caucus, with Democratic members unanimously opposed to the GOP bill.

They warned that while they scored a win with Senate Republicans delaying their healthcare legislation until after the July 4 recess, they don’t believe the GOP move to repeal ObamaCare is dead yet.

“Just like the House of Representatives did after their initial failure, I take Majority Leader McConnell at his word that he will bring the bill back to the floor,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), a red-state Democrat up for reelection in 2018, added that the “Senate delaying vote on health care bill is good, but fight is far from over. Must [continue] fight to protect access to quality, affordable care.”

Top Senate Republicans pledged on Tuesday that they would return to its healthcare legislation next month, after they worked out significant differences remaining within the caucus. 

Democrats don’t have the ability to block the healthcare bill, but they have been under a wave of pressure to grind the Senate to a halt in retaliation for Republicans crafting their legislation behind closed-doors.

Democrats stepped up their attacks this week, staging an hours-long protest from the Senate floor and holding an impromptu “sit in” outside of the Capitol on Monday night.

Progressive groups are expected to hold events and protests around the Capitol this week. Protestors yelled “shame on you” and “kill the bill” at Republican senators as they returned to the Senate on Tuesday evening from a meeting at the White House.

Republicans have a narrow path for clearing healthcare legislation through the Senate. They have 52 seats, and need at least 50 votes as well as Vice President Mike Pence to break a tie.

Nine GOP senators are currently opposed to the legislation, according to The Hill’s whip list.