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| The Graham-Cassidy bill attempts to repeal Obamacare // Wikimedia Commons |
The Republicans are scrambling to gain majority support in the Senate for the Graham-Cassidy bill, which would repeal and replace Obamacare, reducing health insurance coverage for tens of millions of Americans each year. In order to gain more Republican support, a revised version of the bill was proposed to Republicans Sunday.
There is a clear sense of urgency within the supporters of the bill, as this is likely their last realistic chance to repeal and replace Obamacare. At the beginning of October, any motion to repeal and replace Obamacare will require 60 votes in the Senate to pass, instead of the normal 51-vote majority. CNN said it would be an "impossibility in the current Senate" to get 60 votes.
GOP Sen. John McCain has been a divisive voices for the Republicans, publicly denouncing the bill. His lack of support will make it extremely difficult for the bill to pass in the Senate, especially considering any bill re.
"I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried,” McCain said. “Nor could I support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will affect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it.”
The bill would cut Obamacare's expansion of coverage to 34 states, per the Washington Post. It would replace this funding with block grants for the individual states, although the grants would only last from 2020 to 2026, when they would expire.
However, one risk of the block grant solution is that states could potentially use the money from the grants for purposes unrelated to healthcare, as states have the discretion to allocate funding from block grants towards causes of their choosing.
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