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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 28 June 2017
Senate GOP shelves health bill, imperils ‘Obamacare’ repeal
Continued from front adjustments to placate
conservatives, who want
“This will be great if we get the legislation to be more
it done, and if we don’t get stringent, only push away
it done it’s just going to be moderates who think its
something that we’re not current limits — on Med-
going to like, and that’s OK icaid for example — are
and I understand that very too strong. In the folksy
well,” he told the senators, analysis of John Cornyn
who surrounded him at of Texas, the Senate GOP
tables arranged in a giant vote-counter: “Every time
square in the East Room. you get one bullfrog in the
Most wore grim expres- wheelbarrow, another one
sions. jumps out.”
In the private meeting that McConnell has scant mar-
followed, said Marco Ru- gin for error in the closely
bio of Florida, the president divided Senate, and the
spoke of “the costs of fail- legislation to eliminate
ure, what it would mean to Obamacare’s mandates
not get it done — the view and unwind its Medicaid
that we would wind up in expansion has shed sup-
a situation where the mar- port practically from the
kets will collapse and Re- In this June 22, 2017 photo, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine speaks amid a crush of reporters on moment it was unveiled
publicans will be blamed Capitol Hill in Washington. Somewhere along the way, the Republican crusade to repeal “Obam- last Thursday. By Tuesday
for it and then potentially acare” also turned into an effort to limit the future growth of Medicaid. That bit of mission creep is morning at least five GOP
have to fight off an effort complicating prospects for the GOP, and could lead to deadlock. senators had announced
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) their opposition to a pro-
cedural vote on the bill,
to expand to single payer and after McConnell an-
at some point.” nounced the delay sev-
The bill has many critics eral more went public with
and few outspoken fans their criticism. McConnell
on Capitol Hill. It was short can lose only two senators
of support heading toward from his 52-member cau-
a critical procedural vote cus and still pass the bill,
on Wednesday, and pros- with Pence to cast a tie-
pects for changing that breaking vote. Democrats
are uncertain. McConnell are unanimously opposed,
promised to revisit the leg- and in recent days they
islation after Congress’ July have stepped up protests,
4 recess. delivering speeches on the
“It’s a big complicated Senate floor for hours and
subject, we’ve got a lot holding vigils on the Capi-
discussions going on, and tol steps.Medical groups
we’re still optimistic we’re are nearly unanimously
going to get there,” Mc- opposed, too, along with
Connell told reporters after the AARP, though the U.S.
the lunch. Chamber of Commerce
It hasn’t been easy, as supports the bill.q
President Trump hails ‘energy
revolution’ as exports surge
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- adding that the U.S. is on
dent Donald Trump on the brink of becoming a
Tuesday hailed an energy net exporter of oil, gas and
revolution marked by surg- other energy resources.
ing U.S. exports of oil and The self-proclaimed “en-
natural gas. Trump cited ergy week” follows similar
a series of steps the ad- policy-themed weeks on
ministration has taken to infrastructure and jobs.
boost energy production At the White House, Energy
and remove government Secretary Rick Perry said
regulations that he argues the administration is con-
prevent the United States fident officials can “pave
from achieving “energy the path toward U.S. en-
dominance” in the global ergy dominance” by ex-
market. “Together, we are porting oil, gas and coal to
going to start a new en- markets around the world,
ergy revolution — one that and promoting nuclear en-
celebrates American pro- ergy and even renewables
duction on American soil,” such as wind and solar
Trump said in a statement, power. q
