Senate GOP Leaders Don’t Have the Votes

Punchbowl News: “Senate Republican leaders projected confidence during a closed-door meeting Thursday that they can fix their Medicaid provider tax language after the Senate parliamentarian said it didn’t comply with reconciliation rules, according to multiple attendees.”

“The bigger problem, GOP leaders told senators, is that they don’t yet have 50 votes to begin the floor process on their massive tax and spending cut bill.”

“It was an acknowledgment from Senate Republican leadership that fixing the procedural problem won’t fix the political problem with the provider tax crackdown, which several GOP senators believe would cause rural hospitals to shut down. It’s also worth noting that despite the Senate Republican leadership’s confidence in resolving the procedural issue, it could still take a lot of time.”