Senators Heading towards New Healthcare Vote with no Clear Plan

Senators are rushing towards an ObamaCare repeal vote early next week, although they currently lack the votes, The Hill reports.

It’s unclear what they will be voting on next week. The two leading options are a repeal-only bill or an updated version of the Senate’s repeal and replacement measure. However, there has not been a breakthrough on either, despite senators holding a late-night meeting on Wednesday to try to revive the replacement bill.

GOP leaders are pressuring members to just vote to start debate through what is known as the “motion to proceed,” even if they don’t know what bill they are proceeding to. Leaders stress that there will be an open amendment process, so lawmakers can try to address their concerns on the Senate floor.

Amid the confusion on what is being voted on, there was at least one step in GOP leaders’ favor. That came when Senator Rand Paul, previously a firm “no” vote on the motion to proceed, cracked the door open by saying he could vote for the motion if he is guaranteed a subsequent vote on the repeal-only measure.

There had previously been three GOP “no” votes — enough to defeat a measure — on both proceeding to the repeal-only bill and to the latest replacement bill.

But that count has been thrown into uncertainty amid confusion on what bill is being brought up. Senator Lisa Murkowski, one of the “no” votes on repeal-only, said she did not know how she would vote on a motion to proceed because she didn’t know what was being proceeded to.

 

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