Will Senate Republicans Throw Medicaid Under the Bus?

Author Thomas Huelskoetter voices concerns about cuts to Medicaid if the American Health Care Act meets the requisite 50 votes needed to pass the Senate.

It’s really happening. After the chaos of last week’s House vote, the American Health Care Act (AHCA) is headed to the Senate. Progressives accustomed to watching bills languish in the Senate due to the filibuster can’t afford to be complacent: thanks to budget reconciliation rules and Vice President Mike Pence’s role as tie-breaker, the AHCA only needs 50 votes to pass. In other words, it can pass even if every Democrat and two Republicans vote against it.

Despite the widespread criticism of the House’s absurdly secretive and rushed process, key senators are indicating that the Senate will also attempt to pass their bill without holding any public hearings or committee markups. The House’s process can’t lower the bar for the Senate: this lack of transparency and public debate is unprecedented for legislation of this scale and importance. By contrast, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went through at least 44 public hearings, roundtables, and summits in the Senate HELP and Finance committees over the course of months, and the Senate HELP committee alone accepted more than 160 Republican amendments to the bill.

The above excerpt was originally published in Real Clear Health. Click here to view the full article.

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