WASHINGTON- Republican Senators are currently drafting a health care bill in secret, and are even keeping out members of their party. Senator Ron Johnson stated in an interview on Monday that he has not even seen the details of the bill, which could receive a vote on the Senate within a few weeks.
Johnson is one of the few Congressional Republicans who believes that repealing the Affordable Care Act should not be rushed, but it appears that his party is not on board. This news that the bill is being drafted in secret, without the support of a crucial Senator, highlights the rampant dysfunction in Washington among the GOP.
Mark Sommerhauser at the Wisconsin State Journal reports:
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said he’s concerned that he hasn’t seen details of a Senate GOP health care bill that reportedly is being drafted behind closed doors and could receive a vote within weeks.
Johnson, R-Oshkosh, made the remarks to a Bloomberg News reporter Monday.
Asked if he’d seen details of the Senate GOP health care bill, Johnson said no. Asked if that concerned him, Johnson said it did.
“This is incredibly complex and from my standpoint, I need a whole lot more information before I agree to vote yes on a bill,” Johnson said in a statement.
The comments underscore the unusual secrecy with which Senate Republicans are crafting a health care bill to repeal and replace swaths of former President Barack Obama’s health care law. Johnson almost certainly must be one of the 50 votes required to pass a GOP health care bill in the Senate.
Read more at the Wisconsin State Journal.
