Concerned about the health of their domestic policy measure, Republicans are in no rush to act. On the other hand, they have no idea how everything will fit together.
On Thursday, Republicans in the Senate came out of a closed-door lunch meeting acting bravely on the megabill’s advancement. Members were anticipating new language for the massive measure on Monday, with voting to begin a few days later, at this time last week. What this means is that they anticipated being nearly finished by now.
Three people who were there at the Thursday closed-door lunch described it as follows: Majority Leader John Thune did not provide his members with a clear schedule. Firmer plans are still in flux due to internal policy differences and procedural bottlenecks brought up by the chamber’s parliamentarian, but senators are planning to remain in town and vote into the weekend.
As the one meaningful constraint, the White House’s July 4 deadline is looming over Capitol Hill; some Republicans have expressed gratitude for the timetable, while others have expressed skepticism about its feasibility.
“I don’t think it gets easier to pass going longer,” stated North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer. “People find more things they want to change the more time we take.”
As if that weren’t bad enough, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough also cautioned that crucial Medicaid wording wouldn’t follow the stringent guidelines that Republicans want to use to pass a measure along party lines using special budget rules. Some Republicans in the Senate called MacDonough’s criticisms “technical,” but they were certain they could resolve them and save the plan.
However, Thune admitted that this will need time and might delay his intention to conduct an initial vote on Friday: “The parliamentarian’s decisions may push that back.”
The president, whose legislative agenda is heavily entwined with the plan, was conspicuously missing from the early Thursday discussion. He got back from Europe late Wednesday and is set to host a megabill event at the White House on Thursday afternoon.
Many people believe that his lobbying is crucial to passing the measure. Despite Republicans’ concerns over Thursday’s parliamentary votes, the real problem lies with the party’s internal disagreements over the bill’s policies, especially those pertaining to Medicaid.
The so-called “Medicaid moderates,” who think the plan is not ready for prime time, were emboldened when MacDonough rejected early wording that would have curbed state provider taxes. Most states use these levies to leverage federal health care funding. Also, leadership’s proposed $15 billion rural hospital fund hasn’t swayed them, even though talks are certain to drive that figure up.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, who had a conversation with President Trump on Wednesday on the Medicaid wording, stated that Republicans now had “a chance to get it right” thanks to the judgment and anticipated that Trump will take a more active role now that he is “back on terra firma.”
In my opinion, he would like this done. But he wants a good job done. He told me straight out that he doesn’t want this plan to reduce Medicaid, Hawley added. According to him, this law would reduce taxes but would not affect Medicaid. All these cuts to Medicaid have probably worn him down.
At the closed-door lunch, Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) explained MacDonough’s decisions to Republicans. The majority of those who voted against the measure now think it would be easy to change it so it remains in the law. Republicans in charge of the Senate are banking on the disputed measures to save over $250 billion, which will go toward paying for tax cuts and other expensive issues.
A relieved Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) stepped out of the Senate chamber to discuss his health after lunch. “I was encouraged by what we heard, even though the lawmaker did a little bit of a hand grenade.”
No specifics of MacDonough’s findings were discussed by the tight-lipped Crapo on Thursday. North Dakota Senator John Hoeven, however, said that the matter was related to a provision that would halt provider fees in states that have chosen not to participate in the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, according to Crapo’s briefing.
His explanation was that the problem had a technological answer.
We haven’t seen all the dangers yet. Republican tax plans are still pending MacDonough’s findings, while other committees await her final decisions on a vital food-aid program and other items they had to rewrite after she rejected their first attempts.
Although senators have been preoccupied with their own problems, they must also consider the House, which is quite split. Some Republicans have persisted in voicing strong opposition to the amendments that senators from the other chamber have been proposing to the measure that the House approved last month.
Among those advocating for a larger state and local tax deduction, Republicans from blue states have been the most outspoken. Three individuals who wished to remain anonymous described the discussions as taking place on Thursday. They said that the administration had mediated an agreement that would maintain the $40,000 deduction maximum that the House had enacted, but would reduce the income level and alter the method by which the deduction is adjusted for inflation.
Among the prominent figures who slammed the offer was Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), who “declined the offer to participate… in further faux-negotiations until the Senate gets real.” A crucial mediator, Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, stated, “we’re going to find a landing spot.”
Meanwhile, conservatives in the House were outraged by MacDonough’s latest judgments that eliminated health care provisions, especially those that attempted to cut off government payments to unauthorized immigrants. A number of them have publicly demanded that senators use their ability to dismiss Thune or override the parliamentarian.
On Thursday, the majority of Republican senators rejected the demand, citing concerns that it may threaten the reconciliation process.
Republican senator from Maine Susan Collins urged the public to keep in mind that lawmakers are subject to the “golden rule” of reciprocity. “Her rule might be something you appreciate one day and something you despise the next.”
Even though Thune turned down suggestions to avoid MacDonough, things might get much worse if Trump gets involved. Even Trump’s supporters are telling him to stay out of the Senate’s procedural maneuvers with MacDonough, and the White House is remaining silent thus far.
“I pray he doesn’t,” Cramer expressed.