Republican Senators headed home for the weekend still at odds over the details of a GOP bill to overhaul the Obama health law, as Senate leaders vowed to press ahead early next week with a first procedural vote on the matter, though it still isn't clear what exactly the GOP might vote on in an effort to break the deadlock on this top agenda item of President Donald Trump.
"The Democrats did their bill on their own, and obviously it's got flaws that I think everyone would recognize; Republicans are beginning to feel like we're getting into that same mode, if you want to be honest," said Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who said he worried that the GOP plan was being slapped together without an overall grand plan.
With a procedural vote expected next week on a motion to start debate on the bill, it wasn't even clear for Senators what GOP leaders would offer on the floor as an alternative to the House-passed health care bill.
"I'm not yet decided," Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) told a group of reporters pursuing him in the hallways of the Capitol. "It depends what's in the bill."
And on that point, GOP leaders didn't have an answer on the details.
GOP Senators were being pursued every-which-way-possible at the Capitol complex, as reporters sought the latest update on the health care bill.
Down in the basement of the Capitol, as Senators arrived for votes, Democrats would walk by - and sometimes not one reporter would move; a few seconds later, a Republican Senator would walk off the subway, and was immediately mobbed by reporters.
"I think they want to talk to you," a smiling Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) said as reporters descended upon him and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-ND), who sold insurance for many years in his home state.
"With the Obamacare model that's in place today, you're going to have increases in deductibles and co-pays," Rounds argued to reporters, though GOP Senators haven't rallied around what their full answer should be to reverse that.
"You just have people committed to trying to fix this problem," said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who has repeatedly made clear his frustration with how GOP leaders have tried to put together this bill.
And that has led some Republicans to openly worry about how the GOP is forging a final plan.
"It's feeling a little bazaar like - like a bidding war right now," Corker said.
Demonstrating some of the frustration of the moment, Corker even suggested that his party go back to the idea of repealing large chunks of the Obama health law - without anything to replace it.
"I am beginning to feel that the best way to do it would be just to repeal - set a two or three year transition period, and force both parties to get together," Corker said.
But there did not seem to be enough GOP votes for that idea.
"Senate Republicans complain of chaos in healthcare effort," was one headline in my morning email inbox - as it's not clear which way the GOP is going on health care reform at this point.
In the House, GOP lawmakers could only sit back and wait.
"I'm hopeful that we'll see the Senate try to regroup, look at the issue, and try to work it out," said Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK).
"I continue to trust that the Senate will do their job," said Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA).
Not only is there some frustration with the Senate among GOP lawmakers, but a little with the White House as well.
"I really lay a lot of the blame on the Trump Administration itself," said Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH).
"The President hasn't really shown leadership and guidance on what the plan should be, and it's left several different groups to work together to try to fashion one," Turner said.
Stay tuned.
About the Author
