The Senate is holding modification votes on the GOP tax and spending invoice forward of as self-imposed July 4 deadline for getting the invoice to President Trump’s desk.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Senate Republicans are nearing a ultimate vote on their tax and spending invoice. It is a blockbuster that hits on quite a few President Trump’s key marketing campaign guarantees, like making his 2017 tax cuts everlasting and approving more cash for border safety and protection. Trump is demanding that they end the job, however there may be nonetheless one massive downside, and that’s Medicaid. NPR political reporter Elena Moore is on Capitol Hill following all of this and joins us now. Hello, Elena.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Hey, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, so I noticed that voting stretched all by way of the weekend, which I do know senators are all the time thrilled with…
MOORE: Oh, yeah.
CHANG: …When that occurs. The place do issues stand proper now?
MOORE: Properly, we do not have a ultimate model of the invoice but. Lawmakers are nonetheless within the strategy of voting on amendments, and that is anticipated to proceed into this night. Democrats have proposed a bunch of adjustments, however they’re getting voted down by Republicans. It is also unclear if any proposed amendments by Republicans will even move. Senate Majority Chief John Thune cannot actually afford to lose any extra assist for the ultimate invoice. In a first-rate – a, you recognize, a preliminary vote on Saturday, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voted no over the deficit, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted no over cuts to Medicaid.
CHANG: All proper, I wish to really speak about Thom Tillis as a result of I noticed that his no vote over the weekend led to his resolution to not run for workplace once more, proper? What does that inform us concerning the political stakes for this invoice?
MOORE: Yeah, I imply, the stakes are excessive. Trump has been pressuring senators to make a deal and get this performed by July 4. And when lawmakers have pushed again, they’ve confronted penalties. You understand, after Tillis voted no on Saturday, Trump vowed to assist a major problem towards him subsequent 12 months. Hours later, Tillis mentioned he would not run. You understand, he is been vocal about his opposition to the invoice since then. This is Tillis sending a message on to Trump on Sunday.
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THOM TILLIS: However I am telling the president that you’ve been misinformed. You supporting the Senate mark will harm people who find themselves eligible and certified for Medicaid.
CHANG: Ooh-ee (ph). OK, properly, let’s speak about Medicaid. This system has been an actual difficulty for Republicans all through this course of. What’s Tillis flagging right here, precisely?
MOORE: Proper. And, you recognize, we’re speaking concerning the joint federal and state well being care program for low-income, aged and disabled Individuals. That is what Medicaid is. A handful of Republicans, notably those that symbolize giant rural areas, have been hesitant to assist massive adjustments to Medicaid. You understand, they are saying it might severely harm, for one, rural hospitals. However on the identical time, there is a group of, you recognize, hard-right fiscal conservatives who nonetheless wish to see extra cuts to this system as a result of they are saying it’s going to assist the federal government simply offset the prices of this massive invoice. You understand, a senator from Florida, Rick Scott, is introducing an modification that would scale back how a lot the federal authorities contributes to people on Medicaid growth, and that would herald tons of of hundreds of thousands in financial savings.
CHANG: OK – financial savings, however there may be all the time a trade-off with financial savings. What would all of these cuts do to insurance coverage protection, you suppose?
MOORE: Yeah. Properly, Democrats on the Joint Financial Committee say practically 20 million folks might lose medical insurance in the event that they move the invoice with Scott’s modification. And even with out it, Ailsa, the nonpartisan Congressional Price range Workplace says nearly 12 million folks might lose protection below the present invoice. And that might be an actual downside for senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who’ve been involved about Medicaid adjustments. And bear in mind, I imply, Republicans can solely afford to lose three votes. Each vote is crucial.
CHANG: That’s NPR’s Elena Moore. Thanks, Elena.
MOORE: Thanks.
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