Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Sunday that he isn’t yet ready to support the latest GOP effort to repeal and replace ObamaCare, increasing uncertainty that Republicans will be able to pass the legislation. “Right now they don’t have my vote and I don’t think they have [Sen.] Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) either,” Cruz said at the Texas Tribune Festival.
“Now, I want to be a yes,” he added, indicating a willingness to be won over.
He said that he and Lee sat down with GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) to pitch changes to their legislation, which replaces ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion and healthcare insurance subsidies with federal block grants.
“We said if you take these edits we’re a yes. They took our edits and then a day later they removed our edits,” Cruz added.
Both Cruz and Lee have sounded optimistic about the Cassidy-Graham legislation, but held off from offering their support and noted they are pushing for additional changes.
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Republicans have until the end of the month to pass an ObamaCare repeal bill by a simple majority. The budget rules allowing them to bypass a Democratic filibuster expire on Sept. 30.
Cruz, on Sunday, argued that was a “bogus deadline.”
“We can do budget resolutions, and budget reconciliation, at any point. We can do it after Sept. 30,” he said.
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JUST IN: Cruz: GOP ObamaCare repeal bill doesn't currently have my vote https://t.co/WCBW9moWjM pic.twitter.com/zxWKm3y2it
— The Hill (@thehill) September 24, 2017
"Texans need a form of healthcare that will focus on consumer freedom and allow for further job creation and growth" #TribFest17 pic.twitter.com/447uIpkeI4
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) September 24, 2017
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