Susan Collins Says 8 to 10 Republican Senators Have 'Serious Concerns' About Health Care Bill

[DonViejo]

Source: Mediaite




by Josh Feldman | 1:04 pm, July 16th, 2017

Senator Susan Collins, one of the Republicans publicly voicing opposition to the proposed GOP health care bill, said on CNN this morning there are “eight to ten” senators with serious concerns about it. The health care vote has been delayed while Senator John McCain recovers from surgery.

Collins spoke to CNN’s Jake Tapper this morning, expressing that she “respectfully disagree[s]” with Vice President Mike Pence‘s assessment about what the legislation would do to Medicaid.

“This bill would impose fundamental sweeping changes in the Medicaid program and those include very deep cuts,” she said. “That would affect some of the most vulnerable people in our society, including disabled children, poor seniors, it would affect our rural hospitals and our nursing homes and they would have a very difficult time even staying in existence and serving vulnerable populations. So no, I see it very differently. You can’t take more than $700 billion out of the Medicaid program and not think that it’s going to have some kind of effect.”

On the question of whether the bill will pass, Collins responded, “There are about eight to ten Republican senators who have serious concerns about this bill. And so at the end of the day, I don’t know whether it will pass.”

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Read more: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/susan-collins-says-8-to-10-republican-senators-have-serious-concerns-about-health-care-bill/

[Casprings]

1. They will have concerns, up until they all vote to pass it...

I just don't see someone stepping up to be the 51st vote to kill the health care bill. No one is going to want to be that person.

[cstanleytech]

3. Exactly, look at how they voted lock step for Gorsuch which went against the agreement they had with

the Democrats regarding superem court nominations.
Hopefully once we get a new Democrat in the whitehouse and assuming we have the majority in the Senate and House whoever we get will increase the number of SCOTUS justices and appoint new moderate to liberal justices to truly bring balance back to the court rather than this potential theocracy of a court we have facing us.

[Casprings]

19. On Gorsuch

Dems made a mistake of listening to the base. Should have let that go and saved it for Kennedy. Would have been more effective if dems could point to them following the rules with Gorsuch and with Trump with even less public support.

[cstanleytech]

21. That is all on the Repugnants for doing that in the end and I hope it bites them in the ass. nt

[Casprings]

22. It might.

I am not saying it is a bad thing. One could see a world which dems own the Senate and presidency and the court becomes very liberal. I am just saying politics wise, we gained nothing by blowing that up then.

[Orrex]

4. 100% that

They'll poignantly articulate their concerns, followed by a poignant articulation of the need to stop Obamacare's destructive impact upon their constituents, and then they'll vote to repeal.

And their constituents will happily vote for them again in 2018 and 2020.

[Casprings]

20. I am not so sure on the voting part

Election environment seems to be swinging back to dems. This health care bill will destroy the health care system in rural America. That seems likely to create a bigger swing

[pnwmom]

6. But they'd have some cover if a group of them announced their opposition at the same time. n/t

[bucolic_frolic]

17. Which is what she just did

you read it perfectly!

[MFM008]

2. Right...

She has 'permission' to vote against it.

Their primary drive is to kill every single thing
Obama did in office.
Period.

[Sneederbunk]

5. Their concerns are how much they can get for a yes vote.

[Grins]

7. Only one fault with her comment...

It lacks the word "only" before the words “eight to ten”.

Oh well, they are Republicans, aren't they?

[TeamPooka]

8. and they will all vote for it.

[Dave Starsky]

9. It's the McCain Trick.

Pretend you have "serious" misgivings about something, then vote for it anyway. This accomplishes two wonderful things for you:

1) You will go on record as being on both sides of an issue. People with short attention spans will tend to remember the side they agree with.

2) Those that are paying a little attention will remember that you were against it initially, but you somehow changed your mind. They will think that something good happened that erased your previous misgivings--when, in fact, it's the exact same demonic shit that it was before.

Net effect: positive. Great job, Senator!

[mgardener]

10. Just let us know Senator....

Who they are and I will gladly donate to their opponents campaign if thy do not vote against the health care bill.

[BigmanPigman]

11. We need to call them ALL and say just that.

They can say goodbye to votes and monet. However, the Big Pharm and Health Insr Co. lobbyists are padding their pockets as we speak.

[Bengus81]

12. Oh my...a whole 8-10 have "serious concerns"???

Try 22+ MILLION of us out in the trenches. BTW,how'd that health care that McCain has work out on his surgery? Hell,I'll just have what he's got.

[DFW]

14. McCain wouldn't care

His wife's family could pick up a $750,000 hospital tab out of their petty cash box. Most Americans aren't quite so lucky. But Republican senators don't care about "most Americans." Republican senators care about people who can toss away $750,000 out of petty cash, because THAT is who finances them. For those who do NOT have that kind of spare change, call the God Squad every time an election rolls around to remind them that Jesus loves Republicans just a little bit more.

[DFW]

13. Here is cause for some serious concern

40 to 42 Republican Senators have little to no concern at all about their health bill.

THAT is what should scare the shit out of a lot more people than 8 to 10 Republican Senators.

[Gothmog]

15. This is a horrible bill that should be defeated

[spooky3]

16. It isn't just "poor" seniors--it's just about any senior

Who may need long term care. Those lucky enough to have a million or more in savings can easily blow through it due to health care costs and LTC, and must rely on Medicaid to pay benefits after savings run out. And what about the surviving spouse?

The NYTimes had some good articles on this topic recently.

[bucolic_frolic]

18. Republicans know

the compassionate will step forward with time and money.

That's liberals, and to some extent churches.

IOW, liberals will have less to donate for campaigns so Democrats will
not have enough money to win.

That's my take on it.