Senators have been crossing social gathering strains on votes starting from areas reminiscent of Medicaid, meals help and hospital funding as they contemplate a litany of potential amendments to President Trump’s megabill amid an hours-long, marathon voting session.
Democrats, who’ve lined up in opposition to the invoice, have provided a collection of amendments and proposed adjustments all through the voting session. Whereas none have but been adopted, a number of the Democratic efforts have nonetheless managed to peel off GOP help.
The votes come as Democrats are looking for to carry Republicans’ toes to the fireplace with probably politically robust votes as they ramp up assaults in opposition to the invoice, which is estimated to place trillions of {dollars} in tax cuts towards nationwide deficits within the coming years, together with important adjustments to cut back federal {dollars} for packages reminiscent of Medicaid and meals help.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a key reasonable who has not but introduced how she plans to vote on the plan, has damaged along with her social gathering on a number of votes for Democratic-backed measures.
That features efforts looking for to “get rid of any provisions that will result in any nursing house closures” and people who “change state supplier taxes,” in addition to one other to dam provisions that will “lead to elevated chance of rural hospitals being compelled to shut.”
She additionally joined Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in voting with Democrats in opposition to a GOP effort to dam consideration of an modification provided by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). The modification sought to strip a provision within the invoice that will block Medicaid funding to Deliberate Parenthood.
Murkowski, one other reasonable whose help GOP management has made efforts to safe in latest days, broke along with her social gathering on different votes as nicely. She additionally voted to again an effort by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) geared toward eradicating provisions that strip “people in america of the federal advantages to which they’re entitled,” partly with the “creation of latest administrative burdens and paperwork necessities.”
She and fellow Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) voted to again an effort from Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) to strike provisions associated to the Supplemental Diet Help Program (SNAP), often known as the meals stamps program, as Republicans have proposed notable adjustments to this system to cut back federal spending within the invoice.
The 2 GOP senators have additionally raised issues over the scope of the invoice’s SNAP proposal and the way necessities for states with larger cost error charges to pay a share of profit prices for the primary time would impression Alaska.
Nonetheless, Democrats weren’t the one ones to peel off across-the-aisle help throughout votes.
One modification provided by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) focused states that use their very own cash to supply well being care to migrants with out authorized standing. States that proceed to cowl migrants with out authorized standing would get their Medicaid reduce from 90 to 80 %.
4 Democrats joined Republicans in backing the hassle: Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Jon Ossoff (Ga.) and Raphael Warnock (Ga.).
Nathaniel Weixel contributed.