Kentucky’s Republican U.S. Senators are on opposite sides in the latest attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
The bill by Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy would give block grants to states to create their own health care systems. The funding would replace Obamacare's tax credits and Medicaid expansion. The measure would also repeal the individual and employer mandates.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Kentucky Senator and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised the legislation for taking more decision-making power out of Washington.
"Governors and state legislators of both parties would have both the opportunity and responsibility to help make quality and affordable health care available to their citizens in a way that works for their own particular states," McConnell remarked. "It's an intriguing idea and one that has a great deal of support."
McConnell stopped short of saying whether he would bring the legislation up for a vote by September 30 or face the prospect of a Democratic filibuster.
Senator Rand Paul has blasted the proposal for being too expensive and leaving too much of Obamacare in place. That prompted President Trump to tweet that Paul is a "friend of mine, but a negative force when it comes to fixing healthcare."
