Senate Republicans shoot down Obamacare repeal trial balloon, Rand Paul and Trump double down on it

[Jimbo101]

Dailykos

Most Senate Republicans are all but laughing at popular vote loser Donald Trump and their fellow senators Ben Sasse (NE) and Rand Paul (KY) for the harebrained suggestion that they just do repeal of Obamacare now and figure the hard stuff out later. It's a lead balloon.

"Senator Rand Paul suggested this very idea to the President," Paul's spokesman Sergio Gor told Yahoo News Friday. "He fully agrees that we must immediately repeal Obamacare and then work on replacing it right away."

That's not going to happen. Largely because that first aide is right—the large majority of Republicans would completely reject it. And because it would completely screw up the legislative strategy they crafted to do both repeal and replace and tax reform. Under the rules they passed with budget reconciliation instructions, they can only do one Obamacare thing. Once it's done, they can do the tax thing. They don't have a mechanism for doing a second health bill outside of regular order, where they have to have 60 votes. And it doesn't seem too likely that McConnell would go nuclear—get rid of the filibuster entirely—for this. If he can't get 50 votes together for Trumpcare, he'd face a revolt if he tried to force this.

[Doodley]

1. Paul Ryan has no respect because he is as moronic as they come. He should resign.

[MineralMan]

2. How does Paul Ryan figure in this?

I'm confused.

[Doodley]

3. He totally created this situation. He wanted to personally own it, and he should.

This should have been a cross-party bill, not Republicans behind closed doors.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. "they can only do one Obamacare thing--not a 2nd try"

Had no idea they painted themselves into the corner on the repeal.
Not many Mensa achievers in that party.