Republican senators on Tuesday embraced the idea of making changes to their party’s plan to repeal and replace the healthcare bill that has drawn GOP criticism in both chambers.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters he plans to take up the bill if it passes the House, but said it could change in the Senate, where it will be considered under a budget process known as reconciliation. That consideration includes a chance to alter it with amendments.
Many Senate Republicans are interested in expanding the tax credits to help reduce costs for low-income earners, but such a change would likely cause the bill to lose even more support in the House, where conservatives say the tax credits are another form of health insurance subsidies.
“It will be open to amendment in the Senate like all reconciliation bills are,” McConnell said Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with GOP lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence.
House Republicans, have been reluctant to embrace any alteration of their proposal which has passed two House Committees and will head to a third, the Budget Committee, on Thursday.
But changes are likely on the way. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., were scheduled to talk by phone to President Trump about the healthcare law Tuesday about a possible amendment to the House proposal.
“We are obviously in talks with House leadership” about the ideas that would be included in a manager’s amendment to the American Health Care Act, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday. “All of that is part of a comprehensive strategy to engage with members who support us. That’s part of the legislative process.”
“The first step is in the House,” McConnell said. “We are hopeful and optimistic they are going to send us something. We are going to do our thing and pass it.”
Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration were eager to talk about possible changes on Tuesday, including regulatory changes that Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price wants to impose from his department. Price talked about those changes with Republicans on Tuesday.
“The president’s plan, when combined with the administrative changes the secretary is empowered to make, is going to be a big benefit,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told the Washington Examiner.
Wicker said there could be changes to the GOP plan and that Price mentioned some of those changes to Republican lawmakers.
House Republicans may have not choice but to permit changes. While the GOP can afford to lose 23 of their own and still pass the bill in the House, the Senate’s slim GOP majority would allow only two defections.
“There are some problems,” Senate Finance Committee Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said, of the House plan.
