Senate to Hold Pivotal Health Care Vote on Tuesday as Trump Applies the Heat

WASHINGTON -- Amid renewed pressure from the White House, Republican senators are barreling towards a pivotal vote Tuesday that will once again test their ability to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Texas Sen. John Cornyn announced they will hold a procedural vote to begin debate on legislation to overhaul Obamacare, though the men have sizable challenges ahead.Top of the list: They may not have the 50 votes needed to even clear that procedural vote, particularly as some Republican lawmakers say they’re unclear what version of the GOP’s health care legislation they’ll be asked to consider and approve.With a narrow 52-48 majority and the possibility that Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, will miss the vote, they can only afford to lose one other GOP member’s support. On Monday, clearing that initial hurdle was far from certain.Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is among the leading opponents of the GOP replacement plan, saying proposed reductions in Medicaid spending would harm her constituents. As of Monday, she was widely expected to vote against the procedural measure.Other key Republicans who have voiced reservations about the legislation include Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Utah Sen. Mike Lee have also blasted the bill, but for different reasons. They argue it doesn’t go far enough in undoing the existing health care law. On Monday, Murkowski told reporters she’s undecided on whether to support the motion to proceed. Asked if she knows what senators will be voting on, she said: “I do not.”  Continue reading...