Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
McCain's Return For Health Vote Energizes GOP, Provides Tiny Bit Of Breathing Room
President Donald Trump urged Republicans to "step up to the plate" for Tuesday's crucial Senate vote on their bill eviscerating much of the Obama health care law. The stage was set for high drama, with Sen. John McCain returning to the Capitol to cast his first vote since being diagnosed with brain cancer. No stranger to heroic episodes, the Navy pilot who persevered through five years of captivity during the Vietnam War announced through his office that he would be back in Washington for the critical roll call on beginning debate on the legislation. (7/25)
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will return to the Senate on Tuesday after being diagnosed with brain cancer, giving the GOP push to repeal and replace ObamaCare a boost of momentum.聽鈥淪enator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate聽tomorrow聽to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the聽National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea," McCain's office said聽on聽Monday聽evening. (Carney, 7/24)
McCain, who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, could provide a critical vote to open debate on the GOP bill. The senator had been recuperating from surgery and exploring treatment options in Arizona. McCain鈥檚 announcement came as some Senate GOP leaders expressed confidence in a newly emerging strategy of trying to pass smaller-scale changes to the Affordable Care Act, with an eye toward continuing negotiations into the fall. (Sullivan, Snell, O'Keefe and Wagner, 7/24)
McConnell spent the day cajoling his members and meeting with Vice President Mike Pence to plot strategy. The majority leader was still short of the votes to even open debate, and Republicans still don't know what they'd be voting to allow debate on if they agree to go along with McConnell on the procedural vote. (Everett, Kim and Haberkorn, 7/24)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appears to be blundering into a healthcare vote this week, despite not having a deal on a Senate healthcare bill. Public struggles aside, McConnell actually does have a plan: pin down fellow Republican senators on their seven-year-old promise to repeal ObamaCare. (Bolton, 7/25)
Lawmakers typically vote with party leaders at least to begin debate on legislation, and failure to pass the motion would be a rebuke for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), who has argued that allowing debate to begin would give senators unhappy with the bill a chance to amend it. (Armour, Peterson and Radnofsky, 7/24)
It is unclear whether several swing votes on health care, such as GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Dean Heller of Nevada and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, will support the motion to proceed. (Donnelly and Williams, 7/24)
Vice President Mike Pence will preside over the Senate in case his vote is needed to break a tie, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price told reporters. Trump鈥檚 budget office issued a statement urging senators to agree to begin debate. (Litvan and Epstein, 7/24)
Senate Republican leaders and President Donald Trump appear determined to begin a floor debate Tuesday on repealing Obamacare in a highly unorthodox way -- without lawmakers knowing what they鈥檒l be voting on or where it might end up. It鈥檚 unclear whether they have the 50 votes needed to begin considering a version of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell鈥檚 replacement bill or a stripped-down bill that would repeal much of Obamacare with a two-year delay. (Litvan and Dennis, 7/25)
McCain has expressed concern about the way the GOP health plans would affect Arizona鈥檚 Medicaid program and turned to Gov. Doug Ducey for help in crafting alternatives. He also has complained about the hurried, closed-door dealing that marked the early versions of the GOP bills. (Hansen, 7/24)
None of us can choose how we are remembered. Most of us are not remembered at all. Senator John McCain knows that he will be remembered. He faces a choice about how his remarkable career will be noted in its autumnal phase. ...聽As he makes this decision, he should consider Clair Engle. (Fallows, 7/24)
The Senate鈥檚 No. 2 Republican said the two chambers might conference their ObamaCare repeal-and-replace bills. 鈥淚nitially there was some thought that maybe the House would take up the bill that we passed, but that may not be the case,鈥 Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters Monday. (Roubein, 7/24)
Senate Democrats held a talkathon from the Senate floor聽on Monday聽night, ahead of a key hurdle on the GOP effort to repeal and replace ObamaCare.聽"When the goal is big tax cuts, it's hard to come up with something that actually also improves people's healthcare. The Republican health bills have gone from bad to worse to embarrassing," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). (Carney, 7/24)
