Sen. Tom Cotton is warning that House Republicans’ bill to replace Obamacare needs “major changes” or it won’t pass in the Republican-controlled Senate.
The Arkansas Republican’s concerns were soon echoed by Rep. Steve King who told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on “New Day” Thursday that House leadership rolled out the legislation too quickly.
“House health-care bill can’t pass Senate w/o major changes. To my friends in House: pause, start over. Get it right, don’t get it fast,” Cotton tweeted Thursday morning.
“GOP shouldn’t act like Dems did in O’care. No excuse to release bill Mon night, start voting Wed. With no budget estimate,” he continued.
Cotton added: “What matters in long run is better, more affordable health care for Americans, NOT House leaders’ arbitrary legislative calendar.”
Asked about Cotton’s tweets, King agreed that House Republicans were moving too quickly and did not give Congress enough time to improve it.
“We should have had more time to digest it. I would have rather seen it out for a week or 10 days before they go to a committee and mark it up,” the Iowa Republican told Cuomo. “It really isn’t much time for anybody to bring amendments to try to make the change.”
“At this point, if I were leadership, I wouldn’t back up, but I would have given a little more time at the beginning,” he added.
White House and Republican congressional leaders had sought to fast track the Republicans’ Obamacare repeal bill through Congress. But Democrats made clear it wouldn’t be easy — dragging out a grueling day of committee sessions well into the early morning hours Thursday.
Opposition to the bill increased Wednesday, as key industry groups that favored Obamacare said the replacement plan supported by President Donald Trump could harm vulnerable Americans.
In an Oval Office meeting Wednesday, Trump told several leaders of conservative groups that if Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act aren’t successful, he’d allow the existing law to fail and let Democrats take the blame, sources at the gathering told CNN.
But King said Thursday that Trump’s approach would ultimately harm Americans.
“I believe it will implode, but I don’t like (that option) as a Plan B and I don’t because Americans have suffered under Obamacare for far too long,” he said. “We need to provide that solution and this is the best opportunity to provide the solution.”
“I don’t want to see Americans have to live under this any longer,” King added. “I’ve wanted it gone for a long time.”