Like a slasher killer from a bad horror movie, the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare keeps getting knocked out but won’t stay dead.
The latest effort has been dubbed the Graham-Cassidy bill, named after co-sponsors Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, according to The Washington Post. Other co-sponsors include Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Dean Heller of Nevada.
The bill itself would force millions of Americans off of their insurance by substituting Obamacare’s tax subsidies with block grants, reducing the Medicaid expansion program and eliminating the individual mandate, according to Politico. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is hoping to corral at least 50 votes behind the measure before introducing it to the Senate floor before Sept. 30.
That date is particularly important for parliamentary reasons — if the bill is to be passed through the process of budget reconciliation, which only requires 50 votes in order to do so, it would need to reach the floor before the expiration date of Sept. 30. After that, no Obamacare repeal could be passed in this session, which lasts until January 2019, without a filibuster-proof 60 votes, which means at least eight Democratic senators would have to support the GOP measure — an exceptionally unlikely prospect.
Not surprisingly, a number of Senate Democrats have taken to Twitter to denounce the latest repeal effort, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer chronicling them on his own Twitter page.
Sen Cassidy says Cassidy-Graham healthcare bill is close to having 50 votes. We can't rest – this bill wont #ProtectOurCare!
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 15, 2017
Our immediate concern is to beat back yet another disastrous Republican proposal to throw millions of people off health insurance.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 17, 2017
Let me repeat: The Graham-Cassidy @SenateGOP "health care" bill IS Trumpcare, & it will rip health care away from millions of Americans.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 17, 2017
The fight to save heath care isn't over. Sound the alarm. We need you to fight today & every day until this @SenateGOP bill is dead.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 17, 2017
🚨Republican bill to rip away health care from millions is gaining steam.
— Sen. Al Franken (@SenFranken) September 17, 2017
The threat is real! We must let our voices be heard. Don't be silent. Help stop this craven repeal of healthcare for millions. https://t.co/4ewSb8eKmr
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 17, 2017
Republicans remain determined to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We must fight back. https://t.co/pxD6Comrbm
— Vice President Kamala Harris Archived (@VP46Archive) September 15, 2017
We must take #GrahamCassidy health care repeal bill seriously and speak out NOW. We cannot let this pass https://t.co/JSXaysMpdn
— Sen. Maggie Hassan (@SenatorHassan) September 17, 2017
This is happening. Drop what you are doing to start calling, start showing up, start descending on DC. Game on. https://t.co/WrNVAhXTcJ
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) September 17, 2017
“This has been building up for a while. Definitely worth keeping an eye on it, but still hard to see where they get the 50th vote,” said Axios’ David Nather. “It’s not impossible that they get McCain. For everything he’s said about ‘regular order,’ he’s still friends with Lindsey Graham. But Rand Paul has been tweeting nasty stuff — it’s Obamacare Lite, etc. So unless you flip Collins or Murkowski, hard to see it happening.”
