The flailing Republican bill to repeal and replace Obamacare suffered another blow Friday when the Senate parliamentarian said the GOP would need 60 votes to pass two controversial provisions.
Republicans, who have been struggling to cobble together 50 votes to pass the legislation, need 60 votes to keep the anti-abortion provisions in the bill, and the same amount to pass an amendment that could cost New York State billions of dollars in Medicaid payments, the parliamentarian found.
It is unclear if conservatives would continue supporting the bill without the abortion restrictions.
The demise of the Collins-Faso amendment — which would have shifted Medicaid costs from New York counties onto New York City and state — was hailed by Gov. Cuomo.
“The decision by the Senate Parliamentarian is a victory for New Yorkers that means that Republican leadership will need 60 votes they don’t have to move forward with Faso-Collins,” Cuomo said. “The Senate should now disqualify Faso-Collins from any bill going forward.”
Reps. Chris Collins and John Faso added the amendment to the House version of the bill to bring hesitant upstate lawmakers on board.
Republicans, who have a 52-48 majority, said the information from the parliamentarian is guidance only and subject to change.
The American Medical Association, meanwhile, is telling senators it’s time to stop trying to repeal and replace Obamacare.
The nation’s largest doctors group says the Senate should start working instead on improvements to the health system that would increase patients’ access to quality care.
The AMA made its recommendations in a letter Friday to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
It came as the Senate GOP is struggling to make good on years of promises to get rid of former President Barack Obama’s law. Talks are ongoing and a vote is possible next week on a reworked bill.
The AMA letter says that revisions thus far have failed to correct the core problem in the GOP approach, which is that it would cause millions to lose health coverage.
President Trump has urged senators to proceed with legislation to repeal and replace the law now, while McConnell, of Kentucky, said he plans to push ahead with a bill to repeal the law now and worry about a replacement later.
Neither bill appears to have enough votes to pass.
With News Wire Services.
