Obamacare replacement hangs by a thread

The latest Obamacare replacement effort released by Senate Republican leaders Thursday has zero margin of error. Two GOP senators, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine, announced Thursday afternoon that they oppose a procedural vote to proceed on the bill. If Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., loses one more Republican vote, the effort is dead. Several skeptical Republicans are withholding judgment until they review the bill, which includes extra money for the opioid epidemic and stability funds for states, and grants states the ability to offer bare-bones insurance plans under certain circumstances. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who has been a no vote up to this point, calls the latest version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act “substantially different” than last month’s effort, but he’s not confident it’s better. There’s also a half-dozen moderate Republicans who are still undecided. Some are waiting for a fresh analysis from the Congressional Budget Office—expected early next week. President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday morning his appreciation for the Republicans hard work, noting, “I will be at my desk, pen in hand!”