Christian Headlines Blog Christian Blog and Commentary

Get guidance on Bible study from C.S. Lewis - Free Course!

Healthcare Roadblock: Republicans Again Struggle to Get Votes

  • Veronica Neffinger

    Veronica Neffinger wrote her first poem at age seven and went on to study English in college, focusing on 18th century literature. When she is not listening to baseball games, enjoying the…

    More
  • Updated May 25, 2017

After failing to secure the needed votes on their first try to pass healthcare legislation, Republicans are again coming up against a roadblock.

Republicans need to secure 50 votes from the GOP’s 52 senators. According to Politico.com, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) admitted that the path forward was fraught with difficulty.

"I don't know how we get to 50 (votes) at the moment. But that's the goal,” said McConnell.

He added that lawmakers are still looking to pass a healthcare measure that repeals the Affordable Care Act and replaces it with a new healthcare system, as was promised in President Trump’s campaign.

Republicans have little hope of convincing any Senate Democrats to vote in favor of the legislation, but difference of opinion is also widespread within their own party, which makes passing such a measure doubly difficult.

Although Republicans were able to pass their healthcare legislation in the Republican-dominated House, it was not an easy battle, and the GOP holds even less of a majority in the Senate.

McConnell did say that tax reform, another major piece of legislation Republicans hope to tackle, is "not in my view quite as challenging as health care."

 

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: May 25, 2017