House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said Monday night that if the Senate passes its latest proposal to repeal Obamacare, he will bring the legislation to the House floor for a vote quickly.
“We hope the Senate does pass Graham-Cassidy. We’re encouraged by the development of Graham-Cassidy,” Ryan said at an event in Wisconsin, according to The Hill. “And I am encouraging every senator to vote for Graham-Cassidy, because it is our best, last chance to get repeal and replace done.”
The House speaker noted that if the Senate passes the legislation pushed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) next week, there will not be enough time for the House and Senate to make changes in a conference committee. The House would need to take an up-or-down vote on the Senate’s legislation, Ryan said. Congress has a Sept. 30 deadline to pass the bill, since the Senate’s ability to pass it with just 51 votes will expire at that time.
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of ultra-conservative House members that often pushes back against legislation backed by GOP leadership, told Politico on Monday that he believes the Graham-Cassidy bill would pass the House.
“It’s fundamentally our last chance to make a legislative fix to Obamacare, and if it doesn’t happen, then the chances of it happening in the future are slim to none,” Meadows said. “And so, I fully expect that if it makes it out of the Senate, the pressure will be so great — from moderates to conservatives — to get it passed.”
However, some Republicans, like Rep. Pete King (R-NY) have voiced skepticism about the latest Senate bill.
“Right now, I don’t see how I could vote for it,” King told the Washington Post on Monday. “It’s extremely damaging to New York.”
Bad Munster…
And this is news, why?
But of course he is.
Ayn Rand: This bill will give me more tax cuts by taking money from those undeserving Millions of peasants. Who wouldnt take it?