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U.S. NEWS Friday 14 July 2017
New Senate GOP health care bill teeters on the brink

By ERICA WERNER ance he needs after an
ALAN FRAM embarrassing setback last
Associated Press month when he abruptly
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- canceled a vote in the
publican leaders unveiled face of widespread op-
a new health care bill position to a bill he crafted
Thursday in their increas- largely in secret.
ingly desperate effort to Moderate Sen. Susan Col-
deliver on seven years of lins of Maine told reporters
promises to repeal and re- she had informed McCon-
place “Obamacare.” They nell she would be voting
immediately lost two key against beginning debate
Senate votes, leaving none on the bill, citing in part
to spare as the party’s own cuts in the Medicaid health
divisions put its top cam- program for the poor and
paign pledge in serious disabled.
jeopardy. President Donald Sen. Rand Paul of Ken-
Trump declared a day ear- tucky, who has repeatedly
lier that failure would make complained that McCon-
him “very angry” and that nell’s efforts don’t amount
he would blame Senate to a full-blown repeal of
Majority Leader Mitch Mc- Obamacare, also an-
Connell of Kentucky. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine is surrounded by reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, nounced he was a “no.”
July 13, 2017, after a revised version of the Republican health care bill was announced by Senate
“I’d say the only thing more Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. The bill has faced opposition and challenges within the That means McConnell
difficult than peace be- Republican ranks, including by Sen. Collins. cannot lose any other Re-
tween Israel and the Pal- (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) publican senators.q
estinians is health care,” cost, skimpy policies. At the
Trump said. “But I think same time, he seeks to pla-
we’re going to have some- cate hesitant moderates
thing that’s really good by adding billions to com-
and that people are going bat opioid abuse and help
to like.” The reworked bill consumers with skyrocket-
McConnell presented to ing insurance costs.
fellow Republicans aims to But it was not clear whether
win conservatives’ support the Republican leader has
by letting insurers sell low- achieved the delicate bal-

Trump: Son’s Russia meeting
‘standard campaign practice’

By MARY JALONICK ing. It’s called opposition
ERIC TUCKER research, or even research
Associated Press into your opponent,” Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- said.
dent Donald Trump on Trump Jr. released emails
Thursday defended his this week from 2016 in
son’s meeting with a Rus- which he appeared eager
sian lawyer, characterizing to accept information from
it as standard campaign the Russian government
practice and maintaining that could have damaged
that “nothing happened” Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
as a result of the June sit- The emails were sent
down. ahead of a Trump Tower
The remarks in Paris during meeting with a Russian
a joint news conference lawyer that Trump’s former
with French President Em- campaign manager, Paul
manuel Macron came Manafort, and Trump’s son-
even though Trump’s own in-law, Jared Kushner, also
FBI pick has said authorities attended. Asked about the
should be advised of re- meeting Thursday, Trump
quests to meet with foreign said “politics is not the nic-
individuals during a cam- est business in the world”
paign and even after Don- and that it’s standard for
ald Trump Jr. said he would candidates to welcome
rethink his own conduct in negative information
agreeing to the meeting in about an opponent. In this
the first place. case, he added, “nothing
“I think from a practical happened from the meet-
standpoint most people ing, zero happened from
would’ve taken that meet- the meeting.”q