Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has at various points over the past few months threatened to block a vote on Obamacare repeal if his “Consumer Freedom” amendment is not included. But on Tuesday, just hours ahead of a vote to proceed to debate on an unknown series of bills and amendments that may not include his policy, Cruz signaled willingness to vote for a stripped-down bill known as “skinny repeal.”
“I think it’s critical to honor our promise to repeal Obamacare,” he said, taking long strides down one of the narrow underground tunnels that snakes beneath the Capitol as a troop of reporters scurried to keep pace.
The purpose of the so-called “skinny repeal” strategy is simply to pass something, anything out of the Senate so that the House and Senate can go to conference to hash out their differences and create a final health care bill to send to President Trump.
“There’s no doubt that repealing the individual mandate and employer mandate are good, positive steps,” he said. “But I hope we can do far more and provide really meaningful relief that can drive down the cost of premiums.”
Asked if simply repealing the mandate would—as experts have warned—send the individual health care market into a death spiral where only the very sick buy insurance and prices skyrocket, Cruz demurred. “This is a legislative journey,” he said. “We aren’t there yet. We are making steady progress.”
Cruz’s apparently willingness to support a motion to proceed makes it all the more likely that Senate Republicans will muscle through the procedural hurdle Tuesday afternoon.
But it leaves ACA taxes and Medicaid expansion in place? If so, how does it possibly pass under reconciliation rules? Since merely removing mandates would cause it to cost more money, not less, thereby needing 60 votes.
Silly rabbit
Rules are for little people
It does remove some taxes, but this is about getting a bill out of the Senate and into conference with the House, so they can go on a needed vacation from all of their legislative accomplishments. Once there, they will reconcile the bills into one and present it to both chambers under reconciliation.
Um, actually it might be the single most ‘worst case scenario’ of all the ridiculous ones floated so far.
Cave #2