Weak North Carolina Sen. Written by Thom Tillis – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell secured a procedural vote on the Republican bill – he says the Supreme Court will maintain protection of pre-existing conditions if the ACA is thrown out. It gives GOP senators something they can point out as evidence they want to continue those defenses and even allow them to vote against and defeat the Democratic Bill on Thursday.
Tillis steps out of the tight party line that stalled Wednesday night, from 47 to 47 votes, with Democrats voting against him and Republicans voting to move him forward. While Democrats failed to get the 51 votes needed to kill the bill, it ultimately went nowhere. It will need 60 votes to pass, which is what the G.O.P. Will not be able to get into a compactly divided chamber with a 53-47 edge.
Democrats called McConnell’s move a “show vote,” arguing that the promise was short-lived under recent scrutiny bills to show its support for pre-existing conditions.
“Senate Republicans are once again buying a do-nothing bill to fool Americans into thinking they will protect the pre-existing conditions of their loved ones. The people covered by this bill are Senate Republicans,” said a Democratic senator from West Virginia. The same Man Manchin said. .
The next step comes after Schumer took a barely functional step – essentially controlling the floor from the MCNel, which controls the Senate schedule – and forcing Thursday’s action vote on the Democratic bill. Democrats are eager to expose attempts by the White House to assassinate a health care lawmaker and are looking for ways to go back against the fast-paced confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Connie Barrett before the election, the High Court will hear the Trump administration’s ACA appeal in November.
Democrats have been forced to delay minor proceedings in the Senate because Barrett has been nominated, in opposition to her nomination, who has no votes to stop her. Democrats are expected to continue to push for action votes that could force the Senate to return to the session next week when the senator was scheduled to be in his pre-election recess.
McConnell and his leadership team are telling their members that the chamber will be in session next week if the Democrats do not cooperate. According to one participant, the Senate G.O.P. The issue came up at lunch.
Asked if the Senate will come into recess next week, as it is scheduled, Senate Majority Whip John Thun said: “This is up to the Democrats.”
During Senate recess – there must be unanimous consent to hold pro-form sessions where no business is held. If the Senate is in session, it is not clear whether there will be votes. If there are no votes, then senators running for election will still be able to campaign back home next week.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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