Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) on Thursday morning warned that the bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act unveiled by House Republican leadership this week will not pass in the Senate in its current form.
In a series of tweets, the conservative senator called on House Republicans to slow down the process for passing an Obamacare repeal and said he wanted the Congressional Budget Office’s assessment of the bill before voting on it.
1. House health-care bill can’t pass Senate w/o major changes. To my friends in House: pause, start over. Get it right, don’t get it fast.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) March 9, 2017
2. GOP shouldn’t act like Dems did in O’care. No excuse to release bill Mon night, start voting Wed. With no budget estimate!
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) March 9, 2017
3. What matters in long run is better, more affordable health care for Americans, NOT House leaders’ arbitrary legislative calendar.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) March 9, 2017
Cotton is not alone in his opposition to the bill, so his concern signals trouble for the legislation in the Senate. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) on Wednesday said she had concerns about the bill and also said she did not think the House bill had enough support in the Senate. Several other Republican senators, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), have also expressed concerns about the bill.
