Ron Johnson Says He’ll Vote To Block Obamacare Repeal Bill This Week

Senate subcommittee on Investigations member Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., questions witnesses during the subcommittee's hearing on “adequacy of the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to protect unaccompanied alien children from human trafficking,” Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Senate subcommittee on Investigations member Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., questions witnesses during the subcommittee's hearing on “adequacy of the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to protect unaccom... Senate subcommittee on Investigations member Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., questions witnesses during the subcommittee's hearing on “adequacy of the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to protect unaccompanied alien children from human trafficking,” Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) MORE LESS
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Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), a vocal opponent of Senate Republicans’ rushed process to vote on a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, said Monday night that he will vote to block the bill from proceeding if leaders push for a vote this week.

Johnson was the third Republican senator to announce opposition to the bill as written on Monday night after the Congressional Budget Office released its score of the bill. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) also said Monday evening that they would oppose a vote this week to allow the Senate bill to proceed. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) announced last week that he would oppose the bill in its current form.

Senate Republican leaders can only afford to lose two Republicans in the chamber and still pass the legislation. Leaders are reportedly already working on changes to the bill and side deals that may persuade the holdouts to back the legislation.

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  1. I’m not too confident on them being able to stop ReaperCare but I have to admit reading this gives me a dash of hope.

    /crossing fingers

  2. Avatar for joey joey says:

    It’s just impossible to tell what’s theater and what’s real as far as these Republican “holdouts”/people who “oppose” the bill/etc.

    And I suspect that Mitch McConnell knows very well what the real story is, and which way this is likely to go. But there is no way for the rest of us to tell.

    Still, I have hope. :S

  3. There’s no way that this theater is part of McConnell’s plan.
    I wouldn’t say the wheels are coming off, but having roughly 7 GOP Senators saying “hell no” or “probably not” is very damaging.

  4. Avatar for fgs fgs says:

    RoJo faces a real dilemma. Does he want to take more insurance away from people who live here, give bigger tax cuts to people who don’t, or both? My money is on both.

    Medicaid is what Republicans hate more than anything. Nothing kicks off the bonfire-beer bitching olympics like a subsidy which cuts out at 125% of poverty, among friends who make 127%.

  5. In the end if McYertle doesn’t have the votes to pass it he won’t put it up for a vote. He’s hateful, heartless and despicable (among many, many other vile things) but he’s not stupid.

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