In the time since the House passed its partisan health care repeal, the vast majority GOP senators, including Sens. Bill Cassidy, Lindsey Graham and Dean Heller, have consistently called for bipartisan health care legislation. Take a look for yourself…
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) On His Bill With Sen. Graham: “I Think We’ll Have Hearings.” [The Advocate, 9/9/17]
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): “Any Bill…Not Scored? Needs To Be Viewed With Suspicion.” “‘Like y’all, I’m still waiting to see if it’s a boy or a girl,’ said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). ‘Any bill that has been posted less than 24 hours, going to be debated three or four hours, not scored? Needs to be viewed with suspicion.’” [Politico, 5/5/17]
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): “We’re Going To Do All These Things By September 30? Give Me A Break.” “‘We’re going to do all these things by Sept. 30? Give me a break. We’re going to cut taxes, pass health care, set aside sequestration?’ said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican.” [Politico, 6/2/17]
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): No Deal On Friday Signals “End Of [One-Party] Health Care Talks.” “[Graham] tells [Kasie Hunt] that if GOP doesn’t reach an agreement on health care by Friday it’ll be the end of the 1 party health care talks.” NBC News Frank Thorp Tweet, 6/28/17]
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX): “And I Think, Frankly, Bipartisan Solutions Tend To Be More Durable.” “‘There’s a lot the American people expect of us, but we’ve seen with fragile majorities in the Senate that we are forced to work together to try to solve these problems. And I think, frankly, bipartisan solutions tend to be more durable,’ Cornyn said. Democrats have sent Republicans multiple letters on healthcare that asked, for example, for an all-Senate meeting and suggested a list of rooms where they could hold a public hearing.” [The Hill, 8/1/17]
Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch (R-UT) On Moving Forward On Health Care: “I Hope It’ll Be Bipartisan.” “‘It’s a constant battle. Health care is one of the most difficult things,’ said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). ‘It has to come back before the end of the year. We have to face it.’ Hatch paused when asked if he’s referring to another party-line repeal effort. ‘Oh, I hope it’ll be bipartisan,’ he said.” [Politico, 7/31/17]
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): “I Have Repeatedly Said That Healthcare Reform, And Especially Major Entitlement Reform, Should Go Through The Committee Process Where Stakeholders Can Weigh In And Ideas Can Be Vetted In A Bipartisan Forum.” “I have repeatedly said that healthcare reform, and especially major entitlement reform, should go through the committee process where stakeholders can weigh in and ideas can be vetted in a bipartisan forum. I voted ‘no’ today to give the Senate another chance to take this to the committee process.” [Murkowski Statement, 7/25/17]
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): “The Senate Should Step Back And Engage In A Bipartisan Process To Address The Failures Of The ACA And Stabilize The Individual Markets.” “As I’ve been saying, the Senate should take a step back and engage in a bipartisan process to address the failures of the ACA and stabilize the individual markets. That will require members on both sides of the aisle to roll up their sleeves and take this to the open committee process where it belongs.” [Murkowski Statement, 7/18/17]
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): “This Is Not For Republicans To Fix Or Democrats To Fix — This Is For Us As Americans To Fix.” “‘This is not for Republicans to fix or Democrats to fix — this is for us as Americans to fix,’ Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said.” [MSNBC, 6/27/17]
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): “We Should Be Working With Our Colleagues On The Other Side Of The Aisle.” ‘When did we get to the point where we said, ‘No, we’re not going to talk to Democrats about a fix?’ We should be working with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle,’ Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told NBC News Tuesday.” [NBC News, 6/27/17]
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME): “We Must Work In A Bipartisan Way To Fix The ACA’s Serious Flaws.” “I voted no on motion to proceed. When dealing with a complex issue that affects millions of Americans and 1/6th of our economy, we must proceed carefully. Making sweeping changes to the 50-year-old Medicaid program without a single Senate hearing is a mistake. We must work in a bipartisan way to fix the ACA’s serious flaws.” [Collins Tweet, 7/25/17]
- Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME): “I Want To Work W/ My GOP & Dem Colleagues To Fix The Flaws In ACA.” “I want to work w/ my GOP & Dem colleagues to fix the flaws in ACA. CBO analysis shows Senate bill won’t do it.” [Collins Tweet, 6/26/17]
- Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me): “Go Back To The Drawing Board” And Work With Democrats To “Correct” Problems In The ACA. [Bloomberg’s Sahil Kapur Tweet, 6/27/17]
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): Writing Bill Behind Closed Doors And Forcing Passage Against A Unified Opposition Is Not “Going To Work In The End. And It Probably Shouldn’t.” “We’ve tried to do this by coming up with a proposal behind closed doors in consultation with the administration, then springing it on skeptical members, trying to convince them it’s better than nothing, asking us to swallow our doubts and force it past a unified opposition. I don’t think that is going to work in the end. And it probably shouldn’t.” [Sen. McCain Remarks, 7/25/17]
- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): Sen. McCain Calls For Return To Regular Order, Including “Input From Members Of Both Parties.” “The Congress must now return to regular order, hold hearings, receive input from members of both parties, and heed the recommendations of our nation’s governors so that we can produce a bill that finally provides Americans with access to quality and affordable health care.” [Sen. McCain Statement, 7/17/17]
Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV): “Republicans And Democrats Should Sit Down Together.” [Ralston Tweet, 6/27/17]
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA): “I Wish We Weren’t Doing It One Party.” “Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he wants the healthcare bill to be negotiated with both parties. ‘I wish we weren’t doing it one party. But that said, if you can lower premiums, that is common ground,’ Cassidy said on NBC’s ‘Meet The Press.’” [The Hill, 7/2/17]
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): “Collaborating With Democrats On The Other Side, To Me, Is Not An Exercise In Futility.” “‘Collaborating with Democrats on the other side, to me, is not an exercise in futility,’ Capito said, noting that she has spoken with Manchin and other Democrats about tackling health care together. ‘That may be where we end up, and so be it.’” [Politico, 7/9/17]
- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): “It’s Never Good To Pass Major Legislation Without The Input Of Both Parties.” “It’s hard for me to see how we get there. I think a better approach would be to try to involve some moderate Democrats in the process and see if we can come up with a bipartisan bill. It’s never good to pass major legislation without the input of both parties.” [The Hill, 6/28/17]
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): “I Wish We Were Doing This On A Bipartisan Basis.” “‘I wish we were doing this on a bipartisan basis,’ Johnson told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on “New Day.” ‘I think it was a mistake saying right away we were going to do this partisan, that’s where we’re out. Maybe what we’re going to have to do is our partisan bill, Democrats do theirs, we’re not going to fix all of these problems. Then maybe, maybe everybody will sit down and lets long-term fix the healthcare system, let’s start controlling healthcare costs,’ the Wisconsin senator continued.” [The Hill, 6/28/17]
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA): “We’ve Got To Come Together, Republicans And Democrats And Deal With The Issues That Are Making Health Insurance So Expensive.” “The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. As said by the majority leader and the minority leader Thursday night or Friday morning, neither party did anything to fix it. We’ve still got some things that need to be done. We’ve got to come together, Republicans and Democrats and deal with the issues that are making insurance so expensive. I think we will, and I think we’ll eventually get it done.” [Isakson Interview with Marietta Journal editorial staff, 8/1/17]
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY): “For Big Things That Affect The Country, It Should Be Done In A Bipartisan Way.” “As lawmakers in Washington remain divided over the future of health care in the United States, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, says there should be a bipartisan approach when it comes to legislation. ‘Should have been bipartisan when Obamacare was passed. It should be now as well,’ Barrasso said Sunday on ‘Face the Nation.’ ‘For big things that affect the country, it should be done in a bipartisan way,’ he added.” [CBS Face the Nation, 7/23/17]