Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., recently discussed the prospect of healthcare reform in an interview with Reuters.
The interview comes as the Senate is working on its own healthcare legislation to repeal and replace the ACA, after the House approved the American Health Care Act May 4.The Congressional Budget Office also recently released its score on the House-approved AHCA, which found the legislation would reduce the federal deficit by $119 billion but increase the projected number of uninsured Americans by up to 23 million throughout the next decade.
Here are three takeaways from the interview.
1. Mr. McConnell was uncertain Wednesday how Republicans will get the needed votes to repeal and replace the ACA, according to Reuters. However, he told the publication he has no plans to reach out to Senate Democrats on the healthcare bill due to partisan feelings on the issue.
2. He would not say what provisions he seeks in the healthcare bill, or provide an exact timeline as far as a Senate ACA repeal and replacement plan, according to the report.
"I don't know how we get to 50 (votes) at the moment. But that's the goal. And exactly what the composition of that (bill) is I'm not going to speculate about because it serves no purpose," Mr. McConnell said.
3. He also told Reuters he may ask President Donald Trump's administration to weigh in as the Senate works on healthcare reform.
"Honestly I haven't asked for any [guidance on the healthcare legislation]. I told the president there would be a point at which we might well want him and the vice president to be helpful," Mr. McConnell added.
Read more from the interview here.