Analysis: Health Bill Test Of Mcconnell's Leadership Skills

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pass or fail, there will be one man singularly responsible for the fate of health care legislation in the Senate: The shrewd Kentuckian has made himself practically the sole arbiter of the bill and will be largely responsible for the outcome, whether it's a win, a loss, or a win that turns into a loss over time as unpopular consequences of the legislation take hold. GOP senators were largely in the dark until the legislation was unveiled Thursday and were still getting briefed, without seeing copies of the bill, when it was posted publicly online. McConnell made it clear to President Donald Trump on more than one occasion that Senate business should be left to him, and as a result Trump largely stayed out of the process, unlike during the House's health care deliberations. [...] McConnell made the decision to release the bill this week and push toward a vote next week, ignoring pleas from some lawmakers for more time. During the Obama years — whether leading the GOP minority or as Senate majority leader since 2015 — McConnell was a key player on several must-pass items: a 2011 budget and debt deal; an early 2013 "fiscal cliff" tax bill; and several "omnibus" spending packages. McConnell is not a fan of unnecessary conversation and plays his cards close to his chest, which can create the impression that he has a secret plan up his sleeve when that's not the case. Confounding his predictions, and on his watch, Congress let the Patriot Act expire two years ago —resulting in a temporary halt to some U.S.

Topics:  washington ap     pass   kentuckian   president donald trump   house   obama    mcconnell   confounding   congress   patriot act   u.s    senate   gop   mcconnell   trump    mcconnell   health   bill   largely   legislation   week   responsible   loss   care   win   years   time   
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