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McConnell: ObamaCare 'status quo' will stay in place moving forward

By Peter Sullivan - 03/28/17 03:00 PM EDT
McConnell: ObamaCare 'status quo' will stay in place moving forward
© Greg Nash

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSanders hits Feinstein over Kavanaugh allegations: Now it’s clear why she did nothing for months On The Money: Senate approves 4B spending bill | China imposes new tariffs on billion in US goods | Ross downplays new tariffs: 'Nobody's going to actually notice' McConnell tamps down any talk of Kavanaugh withdrawal MORE (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that ObamaCare will stay put, sounding resigned to the law continuing even as the House tries to revive repeal efforts.

"It’s pretty obvious we were not able in the House to pass a replacement," McConnell told reporters. "Our Democratic friends ought to be pretty happy about that because we have the existing law in place and I think we’re just going to have to see how that works out." 

"We believe it will not work out well, but we’ll see. They have an opportunity now to have the status quo go forward, regretfully," he added. 
 
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House Republican leaders said this week that they are not giving up on the repeal effort. But the Senate was wary of the previous legislation from the start, and McConnell spoke of the effort in the past tense. 
  
"I want to thank the president and the Speaker, they went all out to try to pass a repeal and replacement," McConnell said. "I’m sorry that didn’t work, but our Democratic friends now have the law that they wrote in place, and we’ll see how that works out."
 
Senate Republican leaders still say that if the House somehow finds a way to pass a repeal and replacement bill, they could consider it. But they are not sounding hopeful.
 
Asked about the prospects of a healthcare bill, Sen. John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneMore Dems want focus on job creation than wage growth Google, Apple, Amazon execs to testify at Senate privacy hearing this month Trump gets good news on wages MORE (S.D.), the No. 3 Senate Republican, put the burden solely on the House. 
 
"It’s going to be entirely up to them, what they can pass," he said. 
 
Democrats said they would be happy to work with Republicans on healthcare reform — if they drop their repeal efforts. 

"I would say to the Speaker, to Leader McConnell and to the president: Drop repeal. Drop it today and drop it for good. Stop undermining the ACA," Senate Minority Leader Chuck SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerHouse Dems push to delay Kavanaugh vote for investigation Democrats should end their hypocrisy when it comes to Kavanaugh and the judiciary Celebrities back both Cuomo and Nixon as New Yorkers head to primary vote MORE (D-N.Y.) told reporters Tuesday. 

"Once those things are done, we Democrats are more than happy to sit down together and come up with ways to make it better." 

House Speaker Paul RyanPaul Davis RyanCorey Stewart fires aide who helped bring far-right ideas to campaign: report GOP super PAC hits Randy Bryce with ad starring his brother Super PACs spend big in high-stakes midterms MORE (R-Wis.) pulled his healthcare bill from a scheduled floor vote last Friday after failing to win over enough support from within his own party, particularly from conservatives and moderates. No Democrats planned to vote for the bill. 

Tags Mitch McConnell Chuck Schumer John Thune Paul Ryan