White House pressures GOP senators to back last-ditch Obamacare repeal bill
Republican senators are facing increasing pressure from the White House to support their party's last-ditch effort to repeal Obamacare.
President Trump targeted Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, on Friday on Twitter, saying that he -- or anyone who opposes the measure -- will be known as "the Republican who saved Obamacare."
Rand Paul, or whoever votes against Hcare Bill, will forever (future political campaigns) be known as "the Republican who saved ObamaCare."
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 22, 2017
Paul shot back on Twitter, saying that the bill proposed by Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, and Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, is not a repeal of the 2010 health care law.
I won't vote for Obamacare Lite that keeps 90% of the taxes & spending just so some people can claim credit for something that didn't happen
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 22, 2017
Calling a bill that KEEPS most of Obamacare "repeal" doesn't make it true. That's what the swamp does. I won't be bribed or bullied.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 22, 2017
On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence urged Alaskans in an interview with an Anchorage radio station to contact their two senators to lobby them to vote in favor of the measure.
"If any of your listeners agree with President Trump and me and millions of Americans that we need to repeal and replace Obamacare, now is the time to reach out to Sen. Dan Sullivan and Sen. Lisa Murkowski and let them know that you'd be grateful if they'd stand with President Trump and they'd vote in favor of Graham-Cassidy when it comes to the Senate floor next week," said Pence.
Murkowski was one of three senators to kill the last Obamacare repeal effort over the summer. Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, were the other two who opposed it.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said that he will bring the bill to a floor vote next week after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) releases what they described as a preliminary analysis of the measure. Senate Republicans face a Sept. 30 deadline to use the budget reconciliation process to repeal Obamacare, which allows them to pass certain bills with 51 votes rather than facing a 60-vote hurdle.