WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on the Senate GOP health care bill (all times local):
6:50 a.m.
President Donald Trump has tweeted about the sputtering Senate health care bill.
Trump says: “If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!”
That’s an approach advocated by Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who’s said he opposes the bill, which would do both at once. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell postponed a vote on the bill Tuesday because of opposition from conservatives and moderates. He’s trying to nail down changes by this weekend to assure the bill’s passage after the July 4 recess.
___
3:35 p.m.
Top Senate Republicans hoping to rescue their push to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul may try doing it by preserving one of his tax boosts on the rich.
It’s a break from dogma by a party that has long reviled tax boosts, and most things achieved by Obama. But it could help attract votes from moderate Republican senators.
And it underscores Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s feverish effort to yank one of his and President Donald Trump’s foremost priorities from the brink of defeat.
The money would instead be used to bolster their proposed health care subsidies for lower-income people.
In a bid for conservative support, Senate leaders are also considering an amendment to let insurers offer plans with low premiums and scant benefits.