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 Bipartisan breakthroughs would likely come in the form of individual
bills targeted at issues such as stabilizing insurance markets or
lowering prescription drug costs. A wholesale overhaul of
healthcare, senators say, is a bridge too far for the two parties,
locked for years in an ideological battle on that issue and many
others.
Democrats, clearly delighted with the turn of events, welcomed the
Republicans' failure to replace Obamacare as an opportunity to work
together. Republicans conceded their other options may be exhausted.
"This is our moment, we have been waiting for this moment for months
and months and in fact for years," Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar
said at a Tuesday news conference.
Democrats are united in opposing repeal of the Affordable Care Act,
popularly known as Obamacare, which boosted the number of Americans
with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers,
and income-based subsidies.
The No. 2 Senate Republican, John Cornyn, told reporters it was
"unfortunate" that he expected bipartisan talks to begin.
"Democrats are strongly committed to Obamacare and are unwilling to
admit structural problems, which create the problems we are having
in the individual market today," Cornyn said. "But we'll do the best
we can with the hand we've been dealt."
President Donald Trump invited all Republican senators to have lunch
at the White House on Wednesday to discuss healthcare and other
priorities, an administration official said, adding without
elaboration: "There is movement on healthcare."
Repealing and replacing Obama's signature healthcare law was a top
campaign promise for Trump and Republicans in Congress, who say it
is a costly intrusion into the healthcare system.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, working for the first time
on major legislation with Republican control of both chambers of
Congress and the White House, conceded on Monday night that there
was not enough Republican consensus around his revised bill to
replace Obamacare. He said he would instead hold a straight repeal
vote sometime next week.
But at least three Republican senators have already said they oppose
repealing Obamacare without an agreement on replacement legislation,
likely dooming its prospects. McConnell can only lose two votes from
his 52-seat majority in the 100-seat Senate to pass healthcare
legislation.
Senate Republicans passed a straight repeal bill two years ago, but
Obama vetoed it. The upcoming repeal vote will include a two-year
delay, McConnell said.
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That would "give us an opportunity to build something better on a
bipartisan basis, that's what I sense most of our members would like
to vote on now, and we'll be doing that in the near future,"
McConnell told a news conference on Tuesday.
SHORING UP STATE MARKETS
An initial hurdle in coming weeks will be shoring up faltering state
insurance markets by ensuring that insurers keep receiving subsidies
that help lower the cost of insurance for low-income individuals.
The Trump administration will continue making the subsidy payments
through August while a related Republican lawsuit is pending. The
uncertainty beyond that has rattled insurers.
Republican senators have acknowledged the need to address the
unstable markets but resisted Democratic calls to fund the subsidies
without accompanying reforms, calling it a "bailout" for insurance
companies.
Funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program, a part of the
Medicaid government health insurance program for the poor and
disabled, known as CHIP, expires on Sept. 30 and will require
reauthorization.
Bills to address the subsidy payments and CHIP would likely require
60 votes for passage, acting as a barometer of how inclined
Republicans and Democrats are to work together, industry lobbyists
and experts said.
Trump suggested on Tuesday that Republicans should allow the
insurance markets to fail before working with Democrats. But
Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, the head of the Senate Committee
on Health, Labor and Pensions, said he would begin holding hearings
on the issue in the next few weeks.
Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the panel, said it would
be "very smart" for lawmakers to work together to stabilize the
markets by funding the subsidies.
"It would send a very strong message to the market, if Congress
passes a bill. ... I think that would do a lot to create some
stabilization that is much needed," Murray told Reuters.
(Additional reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb; Editing by Mary Milliken
and Peter Cooney)
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