U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell released the GOP’s health care overhaul on Thursday. The 142-page proposal includes massive cuts to Medicaid, cuts in taxes for the wealthy and defunding of Planned Parenthood for at least one year. The Congressional Budget Office has not had a chance to score the Senate’s bill yet. Under the House bill, the CBO found found that 23 million Americans would lose their coverage by 2026.
Senate Republican leaders have released their 142-page discussion draft of a health care bill, triggering a series of legislative steps with one goal — repeal and replace Democratic President Barack Obama's 7-year-old law.
A look at the next steps:
—Congressional Budget Office analysts review the bill and its effect, both on Americans and the nation's finances. Report is expected early next week.
— Senate debates the bill and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said senators will have an opportunity to offer amendments to add to or change the bill. Dozens of amendments are expected, and the Senate schedules back-to-back-to-back votes known on Capitol Hill as a "vote-a-rama."
— McConnell has the option of offering the final amendment, which could contain changes aimed at placating GOP holdouts.
— Senate Republicans are aiming for a final vote next Thursday, before lawmakers leave town for the weeklong July 4th recess.
— The Senate bill differs from the House health care measure, so the legislation would have to be reconciled in a House-Senate conference committee. Both the House and Senate would have to vote again on a final version before sending it to President Donald Trump for signature.
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Or
— The House could simply approve the Senate version and send it to the president, though some Republicans may not be on board.
