Support NeoGAF

[studyguy]

https://www.axios.com/senate-gop-wr...utm_medium=twsocialshare&utm_campaign=organic

Senate Republicans are on track to finish writing their draft health care bill this evening, but have no plans to publicly release the bill, according to two senior Senate GOP aides.

"We aren't stupid," said one of the aides. One issue is that Senate Republicans plan to keep talking about it after the draft is done: "We are still in discussions about what will be in the final product so it is premature to release any draft absent further member conversations and consensus."

Why it matters: Democratic senators are already slamming Republicans for the secrecy of their bill writing process, and this isn't going to help. Republicans are sure to release the bill at some point, but it's unclear when — and they want to vote on it in the next three weeks, before the July 4 recess.

What to watch: When the bill is finished, it'll be sent to the Congressional Budget Office. It'll take CBO about two weeks to evaluate and score a draft bill. Senate Republicans then want to vote on the bill before the July 4th recess. "Conversations with CBO continue" but there are no new announcements about timing, said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, when asked about these plans.

Out of sight out of mind, meanwhile millions of Americans potentially suffer the consequences of the bill all to keep that promise of tax breaks. Ffs.

Again it should be noted that at this point the GOP congress will be incredibly desperate, pinning hopes on moderates that will oppose when so many are getting cowed by delayed Medicaid repeal or that the HFC will balk when kicked back to the house is like betting a drowning man won't try to save himself by any means necessary.

 

[demosthenes]

This is so embarrassing.

 

[HylianTom]

"We aren't stupid," said one of the aides.. "we're evil."

 

[old manatee]

"We aren't stupid"

Nope. Just evil.


edit: lol beat

 

[PopeReal]

Lol so many Americans are so fucking dumb and keep accepting this.

 

[liquidtmd]

 

[x24hrs2livex]

This some shameful shit. This GOP Congress will undoubtedly be known as the worst this country has ever seen.

 

[PandaPandaPanda]

too lazy to find it, but insert video clip of Paul Ryan back in ~2009/2010 criticizing democrats for trying to "ram through" the ACA (which didn't happen)

(yeah I know he's in the House and not the Senate, but same shit applies here)

 

[TyrantII]

They're going to try to skip this through right before the 4th when no one is paying attention.

 

[Dishwalla]

Oh I'm sure that's good news.

 

[Fenderputty]

So they have this week to amend and send the bill to the CBO for scoring or it's not getting done prior to recess.

 

[Sunster]

"If we tell you you're just gonna laugh."

 

[studyguy]

So they have this week to amend and send the bill to the CBO for scoring or it's not getting done prior to recess.

It basically has to get done before the recess or it won't ever get done. No one will be willing to touch this in the fall when it's so close to 2018 and midterms. It's now or never for this shitshow.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

So they have this week to amend and send the bill to the CBO for scoring or it's not getting done prior to recess.

Yea, not really looking like they're going to make it if they're struggling through a draft now (they were originally supposed to have the draft last week)

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

So they have this week to amend and send the bill to the CBO for scoring or it's not getting done prior to recess.

It's now or never for them.

 

[br3wnor]

They will 100% vote on this before the CBO score is able to come out. Absolutely fucking disgusting and I'm worried that this thing is actually going to pass. All I can hope is for a 2018 D wave that fucks Republicans for the next 2-3 election cycles over their shameful actions on this.

**Question for the more informed, are they legally bound to have the CBO score this as part of the Byrd rule?

 

[TemplaerDude]

Criminals. All of them.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

They will 100% vote on this before the CBO score is able to come out. Absolutely fucking disgusting and I'm worried that this thing is actually going to pass. All I can hope is for a 2018 D wave that fucks Republicans for the next 2-3 election cycles over their shameful actions on this.

The senate bill needs to be scored before they can vote on it.

 

[Slayven]

Hey not like it effects millions of lives or anything

 

[br3wnor]

The senate bill needs to be scored before they can vote on it.

Ok thanks, that's good at least.

 

[old manatee]

I heard it's a 3 ring binder with one page that just says "eat shit and die."

 

[Captain Pants]

So much courage.

 

[Link]

In regards to releasing it publicly:

"We aren't stupid," said one of the aides.

Says it all, right there.

The GOP, ladies and gentlemen. The worst threat to democracy in this country.

 

[epmode]

It's astonishing that our government doesn't explicitly require a CBO estimate for a bill of this magnitude. As has been proven time and again, common sense and legislative tradition mean jack shit to this GOP.

edit:

The senate bill needs to be scored before they can vote on it.

OH GOOD.

 

[commedieu]

People elected the party that wants them dead. People lol'd with voting and didn't show up, and voted for people that were literal votes for Trump. And I don't even need to bother with "moderates".

If anything comes of this, hopefully Americans will take the presidency serious as well as all voting. The reality is that this is what was on the table, even before the election for the gop. This is what people were moderate for.

It's gonna hurt and likely kill a lot of people. But what else can be done without any political power? No rioting because we don't want to block traffic. So it's going to have to play out. Hopefully people will be able to go to Mexico for medical treatment.

When they don't get their way, they will continue legislating/scaring away pharma/ aca to death.

 

[ElRenoRaven]

Remember when republicans said all bills would be available for the public to read before they're voted on? Don't worry neither do the republicans.

 

[Foffy]

Worse than ISIS.

Noam Chomsky was right.

 

[Fenderputty]

It basically has to get done before the recess or it won't ever get done. No one will be willing to touch this in the fall when it's so close to 2018 and midterms. It's now or never for this shitshow.

Ehhh ... we shall see. Who knows how many power point presentations they have.

Yea, not really looking like they're going to make it if they're struggling through a draft now (they were originally supposed to have the draft last week)

It's now or never for them.

Here's to hoping they fail.

 

[Grizzle_Dat]

You have to pass it before you can see whats in it .... This seems oddly familiar...

 

[timetokill]

Is axios a legit site? Maybe I'm out of the loop I just haven't heard of it before.

 

[Blader]

You have to pass it before you can see whats in it .... This seems oddly familiar...

Now how many Senate and House Republicans ran and won campaigns in 2010 for attacking language like that?

Is axios a legit site? Maybe I'm out of the loop I just haven't heard of it before.

They're technically a real media outlet, but functionally they serve as a White House press shop.

 

[Ogodei]

If Rand Paul's out, that narrows their options. If other hard-right senators are wavering, then you only need to slam the middle and the whole thing tumbles.

I think part of it is the Hyde Amendment problem: can't include anti-abortion provisions in reconciliation, but the hard right isn't going to vote for a bill that allows tax credits to fund plans that pay for abortions.

 

[dynamitejim]

1. Ram through AHCA to free up money in the budget
2. Cut taxes for the wealthy
3. Lose majorities
4. Let Dems deal with the fallout and Trump's bullshit.

 

[etrain911]

The senator who went viral for calling them out on this shit really nailed it when she called it the most partisan exercise possible. This is 1/6th of our economy and they're not gonna unveil it because they're scared of the backlash? They damn well should be. This level of secrecy is unprecedented. They think themselves kings beyond reproach.

 

[Ensirius]

1. Ram through AHCA to free up money in the budget
2. Cut taxes for the wealthy
3. Lose majorities
4. Let Dems deal with the fallout and Trump's bullshit.

Seems about right yeah.

 

[Marvie_3]

Pieces of shit. Every one of them.

 

[Oersted]

Acting like the criminals they are

 

[Angelus Errare]

Is axios a legit site? Maybe I'm out of the loop I just haven't heard of it before.

Only Axios I know is the javascript library for promises, but these guys seem cool too.

 

[mnannola]

If Rand Paul's out, that narrows their options. If other hard-right senators are wavering, then you only need to slam the middle and the whole thing tumbles.

I think part of it is the Hyde Amendment problem: can't include anti-abortion provisions in reconciliation, but the hard right isn't going to vote for a bill that allows tax credits to fund plans that pay for abortions.

How bout some good ole fashion "State Options"? States can choose to opt out of paying for abortions / maternity care / everything?

 

[Ogodei]

How bout some good ole fashion "State Options"? States can choose to opt out of paying for abortions / maternity care / everything?

It's not a question of options, it's a question of the Byrd Rule, which is what lets them get around the filibuster.

State Waivers likely wouldn't apply under the Byrd Rule either, probably. It has to have a direct, positive impact on the budget deficit.

 

[studyguy]

Ehhh ... we shall see. Who knows how many power point presentations they have.

Realistically they could technically cancel the July recess, but all the same, the expectation is they get it done now or don't. 2018 is absolutely no mans land for this legislation, no one would touch it with a 10ft pole during an election year.

 

[Kevinroc]

Absolutely outrageous. And no matter what happens, whether this bill passes or fails, the fallout is going to be a shit show.

 

[reckless]

Don't worry its the best bill, you can't see it, but its definitely the best.

 

[LiK]

Keep playing your games. When your bill ruins millions of lives of your voters, you'll lose power in 2018 as a result.

 

[Linkura]

 

[Knuckle Sandwich]

This whole thing really is unconscionable. So many people are going to suffer and they don't care.

 

[Netherscourge]

Don't worry, it'll leak.

Someone at the CBO will leak it.

 

[Foffy]

This whole thing really is unconscionable. So many people are going to suffer and they don't care.

The GOP has been a party of sociopaths since Ronald Reagan.

It's just now there's an entire generation who has taken his cancerous ideas and made them normalized.

 

[Fenderputty]

Realistically they could technically cancel the July recess, but all the same, the expectation is they get it done now or don't. 2018 is absolutely no mans land for this legislation, no one would touch it with a 10ft pole during an election year.

Think of the clip art they could have by then, though.

 

[Lord Frieza]

They're going to try to skip this through right before the 4th when no one is paying attention.

The fact that they are sending it to the CBO means that it will definitely hit the public before the actual vote. They are just going to do it as fast as possible so the backlash isn't as prolonged as it was with the House bill. It'll still have to go back to the House, though, and the assumption is that the House will just give it a check mark no matter what it is. I'm not convinced, though. The Freedom Caucus blocked it once, and I don't think they care that much about midterms since most of them are in safe seats, and they've already shown they don't care at all to be the villains and take on Ryan and Trump.

Not that I'm counting on that, because I can see the GOP collectively just saying fuck it because they need a victory for the image of the party, but I wouldn't be surprised either.