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UP FRONTSaturday 6 May 2017
GOP health victory may be fleeting as wary Senate awaits
By ERICA WERNER to be more questions than Cindy Fandhu, front right, holds her 18-month-old daughter, Jocelyn, as they wave to supporters
ALAN FRAM answers about its conse- during a protest outside the office of U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., over the health care over-
Associated Press quences,” said moderate haul bill up for a vote in the U.S. House in Aurora, Colo.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen- GOP Sen. Susan Collins of
ate Republicans wasted Maine, whose vote may (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
no time on Friday showing prove one of the hardest
they have little use for the to get for President Donald
House bill to repeal and Trump and Majority Leader
replace Barack Obama’s Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Affordable Care Act amid And Sen. Lindsey Graham,
fears among Americans R-S.C., said over Twitter:
that people already sick “A bill — finalized yester-
won’t be able to get af- day, has not been scored,
fordable insurance. amendments not allowed,
“I’m going to read the and 3 hours final debate
House bill, find out what it — should be viewed with
costs and where I find good caution.”
ideas there, why we’ll bor- The outspoken and imme-
row them. diate skepticism pointed to
But basically we’re writing a long road ahead in the
our own bill,” Sen. Lamar Senate. And for a president
Alexander, R-Tenn., chair- who’s already expressed
man of the Senate health disappointment in Con-
committee, said in an inter- gress’ slow-moving ways,
view. more frustration seemed
“At this point, there seem assured.
“I don’t think anyone in the who are up for re-election
Senate is going to be bul- in 2018. Fortunately for Mc-
lied into artificial bench- Connell only two are in any
marks or timelines,” said serious jeopardy, Dean
Josh Holmes, a GOP con- Heller of Nevada and Jeff
sultant and former chief of Flake of Arizona, but they
staff to McConnell. “It will are certain to be particu-
be a very different process larly cautious about cast-
that will look very differ- ing their vote for anything
ent from the one that we that jeopardizes their con-
just saw unfolding in the stituents.
House.” There was immediate evi-
Senate leaders have re- dence of the political pres-
peatedly vowed success. sure that awaits.
“Failure is not an option,” Hinting at the attacks to
No. 2 Senate leader John come as next year’s elec-
Cornyn, R-Texas, said ear- tions draw nearer, the
lier this year. Democratic House and
McConnell plans to move Senate campaign commit-
forward under special pro- tees both released digital
cedures that allow legisla- ads lambasting support-
tion to pass with a simple ers of the legislation. Ma-
majority vote, instead of jor Democratic Super PAC
the 60 usually required for American Bridge also re-
major bills in the Senate. leased a digital ad declar-
That means he will only ing: “Tell Senate Republi-
need Republican votes, cans this is their mess now,
which is all he can rely on and we are watching.” The
anyway since Democrats legislation could become
are refusing to participate a major issue for vulner-
in dismantling Obama’s able House Republicans in
law. But under complicat- divided districts, and House
ed Senate rules, it also limits Minority Leader Nancy Pe-
what can go into the legis- losi has already threatened
lation. they will “glow in the dark”
And with only a slim 52-48 over their vote.
majority, McConnell can At the “IAmAPreexisting-
lose only two senators Condition” hashtag on Fri-
from his sometimes frac- day, Twitter users including
tious caucus, which runs actress Alyssa Milano de-
the gamut from moderates scribed how the proposed
like Collins to conservatives House law could affect
like Rand Paul of Kentucky them or family members
and Ted Cruz of Texas. Then dealing with serious illness-
there are those senators es. q
