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U.S. NEWS Friday 7 July 2017
McConnell says limited bill needed if GOP health bill dies

By BRUCE SCHREINER place Obama’s law.
ALAN FRAM “No action is not an alter-
Associated Press native,” McConnell said.
GLASGOW, Ky. (AP) — A “We’ve got the insurance
bill focused on buttress- markets imploding all over
ing the nation’s insurance the country, including in
marketplaces will be this state.”
needed if the full-fledged In a written statement, Sen-
Republican effort to repeal ate Minority Leader Chuck
much of President Barack Schumer, D-N.Y., called it
Obama’s health care law encouraging that McCon-
fails, Senate Majority Lead- nell had “opened the door
er Mitch McConnell said to bipartisan solutions.” He
Thursday. said the focus should be
It was one of his most ex- on continuing federal pay-
plicit acknowledgments ments to insurers that help
that his party’s top-prior- them contain costs for
ity drive to erase much of some low-earning custom-
Obama’s landmark 2010 ers. Trump has threatened
statutes might fall short. to end these payments.
The remarks by McCon- Schumer has repeatedly
nell, R-Ky., also implicitly said Democrats won’t ne-
meant that to show prog- gotiate until Republicans
ress on health care, Re- U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks to members of the media after a ribbon cutting cer- abandon their repeal ef-
publicans controlling the emony for exit 30 on Interstate 65 in Bowling Green, Ky., on Thursday, July 6, 2017. fort. McConnell’s com-
White House and Congress (Austin Anthony/Daily News via AP) ments came during a re-
might have to negotiate cess that has produced
with Democrats. While the no visible evidence that
current, wide-ranging GOP 60 votes to pass. objected, and he’s been to the private health insur- he’s winnowed the num-
health care bill — which The existing bill would fail if spending the Indepen- ance market must occur,” ber of unhappy Republi-
McConnell is still hoping to just three of the 52 Repub- dence Day recess study- McConnell said at a Rotary can senators. If anything,
push through the Senate licans vote no, since all ing possible changes that Club lunch in this deep-red the list seemed to grow
— has procedural protec- Democrats oppose it. Mc- might win over GOP dissi- rural area of southern Ken- this week as Sen. John Ho-
tions against a Democratic Connell was forced to can- dents. “If my side is unable tucky. He made the com- even, R-N.D., said he op-
Senate filibuster, a subse- cel a planned vote on the to agree on an adequate ment after being asked if posed the bill, but he was
quent, narrower measure measure last week after far replacement, then some he envisioned needing bi- vague about changes
wouldn’t and would take more Republicans than that kind of action with regard partisan cooperation to re- he’d want.q

Lawsuits are filed on Trump

voting commission requests

By HOLLY RAMER ter in suing Secretary of
GEOFF MULVIHILL State Bill Gardner, arguing
Associated Press that turning over the data
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — doesn’t fit any of the spe-
President Donald Trump’s cific scenarios allowed un-
commission investigating der state law. Gardner, a
election fraud faced fur- Democrat and member of
ther pushback Thursday in the commission, plans to
the form of lawsuits seek- submit what is considered
ing to block its collection of public in New Hampshire:
detailed information about names, addresses, party
every voter in the United affiliations and voting his-
States. tory.
The commission last week The Washington-based
asked secretaries of state Electronic Privacy Infor-
for voters’ names, birth- mation Center also filed a
dates, partial Social Se- lawsuit this week in federal
curity numbers and other court seeking to stop the
detailed information if it is commission from gather-
public under state laws. ing the data. The group ar-
Fourteen states and the Dis- gued that the commission
trict of Columbia are refus- should have completed
ing to comply, while many an assessment of privacy
others plan to provide the concerns before making
limited information that is the request, that it was us-
public under their laws. ing a non-secured website
On Thursday, two New to receive the information
Hampshire lawmakers and that partial Social Se-
joined the local American curity numbers should not
Civil Liberties Union chap- be made public.q