GOP divided on healthcare next steps

WASHINGTON—After failing to pass healthcare reform last week, Republicans aren’t clear what’s next. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., ordered the Senate to stay in town for the first two weeks in August to catch up on the GOP agenda, but healthcare doesn’t seem to be part of it anymore. After a vote to repeal parts of Obamacare failed last week, McConnell said it was time to move on to other agenda items, and on Tuesday he said Republicans are to blame: “Our problem on healthcare was not the Democrats. We didn’t have 50 [votes],” McConnell said. But over the weekend, Trump threatened on Twitter if Republicans don’t hold another vote on healthcare he might default on Cost Sharing Reduction (CSR) payments and “let Obamacare implode.” Some Republicans claim it would be irresponsible to give up on healthcare legislation. “We have to move to some kind of [healthcare] reform process,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told me. “The president is frustrated. He wants to see us move forward. I happen to agree we should move forward.” On Tuesday afternoon, Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., announced the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will begin holding bipartisan hearings in September to review ways to stabilize the healthcare market.