Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) on Sunday said she has “very serious concerns” about Senate Republicans’ bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, and has a hard time imagining that the bill will pass in the week ahead.
“It’s hard for me to see the bill passing this week, but that’s up to the majority leader,” Collins said on ABC News’ “This Week,” referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
She cited the dramatic cuts the bill would impose on Medicaid.
“Based on what I’ve seen, given the inflation rate that would be applied in the outer years to the Medicaid program, the Senate bill is going to have more impact on the Medicaid program than even the House bill,” Collins said.
“If that’s true, and if that is confirmed by the Congressional Budget Office, you’re a no?” George Stephanopoulos asked, referring to the non-partisan office’s upcoming analysis of the bill’s impact and costs.
“I want to wait to see the CBO analysis, but I have very serious concerns about the bill,” Collins replied.
She also pushed back on the White House’s line that the bill would not result in Medicaid cuts.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Friday insisted that nobody currently enrolled in Medicaid would be “affected in any way,” and senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway made similar comments on Sunday.
“These are not cuts to Medicaid,” Conway said earlier on “This Week.”
Asked to respond to Conway’s comments, Collins said: “I respectfully disagree with her analysis.”
.@SenatorCollins to @GStephanopoulos: "The Senate bill is going to have more impact on the Medicaid program than even the House bill." pic.twitter.com/AVYgzbTun6
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) June 25, 2017
