Kyl says GOP has the votes to stop some health bill fixes in the Senate

Republicans have the votes in the Senate to prevent key changes to Democrats' healthcare package, Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) asserted Wednesday.

Kyl, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said House Democrats should be wary of voting for the Senate's healthcare bill under the assumption that another bill to make changes to that bill would necessarily make its way through the Senate.

Kyl suggested that the GOP would have enough votes to sustain points of order they might raise against a bill sought under budget reconciliation rules to make changes to the original health bill to win over the votes of House Democrats.

"There are a lot of things they want to see fixed that are going to be subject to parliamentary point of order in the Senate," Kyl said during an interview on Fox News. "And we believe we have the votes to sustain those points of order, which means that those things will come out of the legislation."

According to the plans under consideration, the House would pass the Senate's healthcare bill, but then take up another bill under budget reconciliation rules to make changes to that original bill. Those rules allow senators to make changes with only a simple majority vote instead of the 60 votes normally needed to end a filibuster. But the maneuver would also subject elements of that package to being stricken by the Senate parliamentarian or a vote of the Senate if the changes are judged to be not germane to the budget.

Kyl said that the Senate's ability to prevent some of the changes House Democrats have demanded should make those lawmakers think twice before voting to approve the Senate's healthcare bill.

"It is a very risky proposition for those Democrats in the House who are nervous about their reelection, and are banking on the Senate banking them out," he said. "It's probably not going to happen."

"So things that these House members think are important to put in the bill, to fix what was wrong with the Senate bill -- like a lot of those backroom deals, for example -- not all of those things can be fixed," the Arizona Republican added.

Kyl also said that the GOP would attempt to amend the reconciliation agreement, which should also make Democrats hesitate before counting on the Senate to make the kind of fixes for which House leaders have pushed.

"Who knows how many amendments might be adopted in the Senate," Kyl argued. "So it is not exactly going to be the way House leadership have portrayed it to members."

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