Apparently to start debate on a pure repeal, no replace bill. What is most unclear to me is why.
Don’t count on the moderates to save us, unless they get too much pressure from the left to ignore.
The object here is a tax cut for the rich, paid for by screwing the poor, under an obviously bullshit pretense of improving health care.
If the parliamentary issues somewhat interfere with the pretense, or prevent them from screwing Planned Parenthood, then as long as the main theme is intact, the vast majority of Republican Senators won’t have the least problem voting for this bill. And if it passes the Senate, it’ll go through the House like shit through a goose. The Freedom Caucus will say, “it’s this or nothing,” and they’ll take this, no matter what sort of posturing Mark Meadows is doing.
So what’s being voted on isn’t a bill, but a motion to proceed on debating a bill, right? As jsgodess said above, there is confusion on what exactly is being voted on, but that’s how I interpreted it.
Right, tomorrow’s vote will be on a motion to proceed to the debate. After the debate would come the vote-a-rama. The base bill is likely to be the AHCA (the House-passed bill), but since the Senate doesn’t want to vote on the AHCA, McConnell must have some idea of what amendments he wants to happen when, and which bill he wants them to happen to.
What we think we know: Paul says he’s not voting on an MTP unless the 2015 repeal and delay bill is on the table. That won’t be the bill they bring up (that will be AHCA, for procedural reasons), but it could be the first offered amendment.
No reason to think that amendment will pass.
Then what? Unclear.
What follows from here is me ranting!
We don’t have any way to know what’s in the next rendition of BCRA, whether it has Byrd-proof language added, whether they feel the can get by with all of the Byrdable elements being dropped, what the parliamentarian will decide is also Byrdable, whether Dems will challenge all of the Byrdable elements including the CSRs, or whether that will be GOP if anyone, if the Dems would vote to keep the CSRs in, etc.
Paul seems to be suggesting that he won’t vote for BCRA in any form. If they’ve made the changes we think are likely, BCRA will have even more money added to it, 200 billion to buy off moderates in the Medicaid wraparound. It’s ridiculous to think 200 billion will make up for 800 billion, but these people are… not honest.
Rumor has it Lee has gotten “his” amendment, but as far as anyone understands it, that seems to be the Cruz amendment with split risk pools, which is even worse for the individual market.
Here’s what’s important: You will not find anyone but Avik Roy, who is a monstrous hack, trying to claim these bills are really an attempt at health care policy. They just aren’t. There is no effort in them to be health care policy. Instead, they are just horrific kludges of tax breaks coupled with safety net cuts. The changes to the individual market are universally stupid, and they are probably only doing them to show they are doing something because Obama bad.
Thanks jsgoddess !
To me, it seems like this is all about giving Trump a “win”, or " If you don’t pass something, anything - Trump’s head will literally explode."
It’s going to be interesting because I don’t think Trump realizes exactly what is being voted on and I think he expects to have a bill on his desk ready to sign by tomorrow night. It’s going to be another fun week.
Your notion of a “fun week” corresponds perfectly with your Dopername.
These guys are taking the “fun” out of dysfunctional!
Here is some fun for you…One of the funniest blogs I’ve read in a while: