Senate GOP leader: ‘There will be a vote’ on GOP ObamaCare fix
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said Thursday “there will be a vote” on a GOP bill to lower ObamaCare premiums.
Cornyn would not say whether the vote would come as an amendment to the must-pass government funding bill or as a stand-alone measure.
The vote is expected to fail in the face of Democratic opposition, but backers want a chance to put senators on record about the measure and force Democrats to vote against it.
Democrats oppose the measure primarily due to abortion restrictions on the new ObamaCare funding aimed at lowering premiums, which Republicans insisted on.
Some conservative Republicans are also sure to oppose the bill as a “bailout” of health insurance companies.
A vote also could help fulfill the commitment Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) made to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to support the bill.
Democrats also have additional concerns, including that some of the new ObamaCare funds would end up triggering cuts in subsidies that help people afford insurance because of a quirk in the structure of the law.
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