Senate GOP Delays Health Care Vote Until After July 4 Recess

The announcement from Sen. Mitch McConnell comes after a number of Republicans voiced opposition to the Obamacare replacement bill

Mitch McConnell Senate GOP
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday that the vote on the American Health Care Act will be delayed until after the July 4 recess.

The announcement comes after a number of Senate Republicans, including Nevada Senator Dean Heller, voiced their opposition to the bill. Other Republican senators who opposed the bill include Rand Paul (KY), Susan Collins (ME), and Mike Lee (UT). In order to pass the bill along party lines, Republicans can only afford to lose two votes from their own ranks.

The delay also follows a Congressional Budget Office analysis of the bill released Monday that estimated the AHCA would leave 22 million more Americans uninsured compared to the Affordable Care Act and would cause premiums to rise over the next two years.

The upcoming recess will last the entire week of July 4, during which time Senators will return to their home states. Congress will reconvene on July 11.

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