McConnell: Obamacare Repeal Bill Coming Thursday

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017, after a Senate Republican Luncheon with Vice President-elect Mike Pence. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Tuesday that a “discussion draft” of Senate Republicans’ Obamacare repeal bill would be unveiled Thursday. He indicated that it would be available to the press then, too, but was vague about how long the legislation would be public before a vote, which could come as soon as next week.

I expect to have a discussion draft on Thursday and we will go to the bill, obviously once we get a CBO score, which is likely next Tuesday,” McConnell told reporters after a Senate GOP lunch.

He said the American public will “have plenty of time” to review the text of the bill and defended the extremely opaque process—no public hearings and a fast-track timeline—that Republicans have gone through to cobble together a health care deal.

“We have been discussing all the elements of this endlessly for seven years,” McConnell said. “Everybody pretty well understands it. Everybody will have an adequate time to take a look at it. I think this will be as about as transparent as it could be.”

The majority leader also stopped short of guaranteeing that the bill would get the 50 Republican votes it would need to pass it when he brings it to the floor.

We are going to make every effort to pass the bill that dramatically changes the current health care law,” McConnell said.

 

 

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