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Senate Republican leaders on Thursday unveiled a revised version of their bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare as they race toward a high-stakes vote next week.

The measure includes changes intended to winover additional votes, with leadership making concessions aimed at bringing both conservatives and moderates on board. (READ THE BILLHERE.)

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellMitch McConnellSenate energy bill would fan the flames of climate change Graham: 'ObamaCare was designed to collapse' Pence pitches governors on ObamaCare repeal bill MORE (R-Ky.) is facing a tough task in finding enough votes to pass the bill. Sens. Susan CollinsSusan CollinsTrump lawyer heads to Sunday shows to launch full-court defense Sunday shows preview: Senate healthcare debate rages as GOP leaders eye vote New GOP health bill puts centrists in vise MORE (R-Maine) and Rand PaulRand PaulTrump lawyer heads to Sunday shows to launch full-court defense Sunday shows preview: Senate healthcare debate rages as GOP leaders eye vote New GOP health bill puts centrists in vise MORE (R-Ky.) appear to be firmly against the measure, and one other defection would kill the bill.

Importantly, the bill largely keeps the Medicaid sections the same, meaning that deeper cuts to the program will still begin in 2025, and the funds for ObamaCares expansion of Medicaid will still end in 2024.

The changes to Medicaid have emerged as a top concern for moderates such asSens. Rob PortmanRob PortmanPence pitches governors on ObamaCare repeal bill The Hill's 12:30 Report Kasich opposes revised Senate ObamaCare repeal bill MORE (R-Ohio), Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Moore CapitoNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Centrist Republicans push back on GOP healthcare bill Five takeaways from the GOP's healthcare reboot MORE (R-W.Va.) and Lisa MurkowskiLisa MurkowskiNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Centrist Republicans push back on GOP healthcare bill Five takeaways from the GOP's healthcare reboot MORE (R-Alaska).

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that those Medicaid changes in the original bill would result in 15 million fewer people being enrolled in the program and cut spending by $772 billion over 10 years.

Collins said she still plans tovote against a motion to proceed to the bill, adding thatthe legislation should move through the normal committee process.

"My strong inclination and current intention is to vote no on the motion to proceed," Collinstold reporters after leaving a briefing on thelegislation.

"The only way I'd change my mind is if there's something in the new bill that wasn't discussed or that I didn't fully understand or the CBO estimate comes out and says they fixed the Medicaid cuts, which I don't think that's going to happen."

For the conservatives, the measure includes a version of an amendment from Sens. Ted CruzTed CruzNew GOP health bill puts centrists in vise Insurers warn Cruz provision will 'skyrocket' premiums for sick people Pence pitches governors on ObamaCare repeal bill MORE (R-Texas) and Mike LeeMike LeeIf Republicans have lost Moran, theyve lost the healthcare battle Centrist Republicans push back on GOP healthcare bill Five takeaways from the GOP's healthcare reboot MORE (R-Utah) aimed at allowing insurers to offer plans that do not meet all of ObamaCares regulations,including those protecting people with pre-existing conditions and mandating that plans cover certain services, such as maternity care and mental healthcare.

Conservatives argue the change would allow healthier people to buy cheaper plans, but moderates and many healthcare experts warn that premiums would spike for the sick people remaining in the more generous insuranceplans.

Cruz said he will support the bill so long as the provisions he sees as a priority are not changed in amendment votes on the floor.

"If this is the bill, I will support this bill,"Cruztold reporters after a meeting of GOP senators. "Now, if its amended and we lose the protections that lower premiums, my view could well change."

Senate Republicans had vowed to not change the ObamaCare protections for peoplefrom being charged more based on their health in their bill, which is why the debate over the Cruz-Lee amendment has been heated.

A Senate GOP aide saidThursdayit is possible that the Cruz amendment would not be analyzed by theCBO in time for the vote next week. It is possible the Department of Health and Human Services could provide an alternative analysis.

Lee cautioned that he was not involved in the changes to the proposal, including the amendment, and would have to review the new language before deciding whether to support it.

The bill does include new funding, $70 billion over seven years, aimed at easing costs for those sick people remaining in the ObamaCare plans.

However, the new measure does not boost the generosity of the tax credits, as some moderates wanted. It still replaces ObamaCares tax credits to help people afford insurance with a smaller, scaled-down tax credit that provides less assistance.

The Kaiser Family Foundation found premium costs would increase an average of 74 percent for the most popular healthcare plan, given the reduced assistance in the GOP bill.

The new measure will leave in place two ObamaCare taxes on the wealthy, in a departure from the initial bill.

That original measure lacked the support to pass, as more moderate members pointed to the CBO's finding that 22 million fewer people would have insurance over a decade.

Senate Republicans are now awaiting a new score of the revised legislation from the CBO, which could come early next week.

The new bill does include $45 billion to fight opioid addiction, but moderates such asCapito and Portman who hail from states where the problem is rampanthave said they also want changes to the Medicaid portion of the legislation.

Portman said his position on the bill had not changed, but he did not give a clear answer on whether he'd back his party on the procedural vote.

I'm the same position I've been in. I'm looking at the language, he said.

Capito also said she doesnt know whether shell vote to proceed to the bill.

We have another meeting this afternoon on the Medicaid cuts, she told reporters. I need to really look at it, look at the score; I still have concerns.

Asked if she would vote for the motion to proceed next week, she said, Wait and see.

In a change that could appeal to Murkowski, the bill sets aside 1 percent of the stability funds for states with costs that are 75 percent above the national average, which would benefit high-cost states like Alaska.

This story was updated at 3:15 p.m. Alexander Bolton contributed.

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Senate Republicans unveil revised healthcare bill | TheHill

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell needs the support of 50 of 52 GOP senators to proceed to a floor debate on the bill, and two senators have already said they will not support that motion. That means just one more GOP senator coming out against the motion to proceed would stop the bill, as written, in its tracks.

Increasing the pressure: GOP leaders have restarted the clock by publicly stating that they'd like a vote (or at least to take the procedural steps toward a vote) next week. The White House is also making its push -- on Twitter, by phone and behind closed doors -- in an effort to net President Donald Trump a major legislative achievement ahead of lawmakers' August recess.

The White House legislative affairs team held meetings on the legislation with Senate leadership "all afternoon" on Friday, a senior White House official said. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will be making calls throughout the weekend on health care as well, the official said.

McConnell recently announced that the recess would be delayed by at least two weeks, but it still wasn't clear going into the weekend whether the additional time would help the GOP leadership get this legislation through the chamber.

Here's what we know after this week:

The revised legislation also has $45 billion in opioid-treatment funding -- a top request from senators like Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia -- and money for states meant to lower premiums for high-cost enrollees.

In several key areas, though, the new bill remains unchanged.

The new version does not address moderates' concerns about cuts to Medicaid, which the original bill would slash by $772 billion by 2026. That would leave an estimated 15 million fewer people insured by the program.

The Congressional Budget Office is expected to release its score of the revised bill early next week, when the White House will continue its lobbying effort, the senior White House official said.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky: "The new bill is the same as the old bill -- except for worse," he said Wednesday. Paul, who reiterated his opposition Thursday, is facing pressure from the White House to support the bill. While on an official trip to Paris, Trump called Paul urging him to vote yes, an aid to Paul told CNN.

The revised Senate bill left Medicaid virtually untouched, meaning the serious concerns of moderates (particularly those in Medicaid-expansion states) were not addressed. And with the Cruz amendment in the bill, all eyes are now on moderates.

Heller is another one to watch. In the past, he has sharply criticized the Senate's version of the bill, and he's recently indicated that he's in lockstep with his state's Republican governor, Brian Sandoval. The state's chief executive this week did not sound enthused with the bill, particularly as it relates to residents in his state covered under the Obamacare-era expansion of Medicaid.

"I'm greatly concerned and very protective of the expansion population," Sandoval told CNN Thursday at the National Governors Association meeting in Rhode Island. "They are living healthier and happier lives as a result of their receiving coverage, and for them to lose that at this point would be very hurtful for them. And it's about people -- this is about people. And 210,000 people in my state."

In addition to these senators, a number of others have remained noncommittal. They include: Murkowski; Jeff Flake of Arizona; Mike Lee of Utah; John Hoeven of North Dakota; Bill Cassidy of Louisiana; Thom Tillis of North Carolina; Ben Sasse of Nebraska; Thad Cochran of Mississippi; Cory Gardner of Colorado; and Todd Young of Indiana.

The President tweeted four times about health care on Friday from France. He said Vice President Mike Pence is "working hard" on it and that he'll have his "pen in hand" to sign a bill into law.

Pence touted the Senate bill -- and stressed his view that the Affordable Care Act is collapsing -- during remarks Friday to a group of about 30 governors at their group's summer meeting.

"Let me be clear: President Trump and I believe the Senate health care bill strengthens and secures Medicaid for the neediest in our society, and this bill puts this vital American program on a path to long-term sustainability," he said, without noting that the bill also cuts Medicaid spending from current projections.

"I understand and appreciate, as the President does, the concerns that many of you have as we talk about Medicaid in the future going forward. Our administration's paid very close attention to this issue," he said.

The President remains focused on getting a deal on health care that's better for the American people, a senior administration adviser told CNN on Friday.

"If they don't get this done now, I don't know when it'll happen," the adviser said. "We've had seven years to create an alternative plan."

CNN's MJ Lee, Lauren Fox, Tami Luhby, Eric Bradner, Liz Landers, Ryan Nobles and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.

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Crucial week for Republicans' plan for health care: What you need to know - CNN

Democrats in the House had a rare victory this week when an ugly, discriminatory amendment,backed by House Speaker Paul Ryan and pushed by Vice President Mike Pence, failed because 24 Republicans joined every single Democrat in beating it back. It was a pleasant surprise. And theres an important takeaway.

The amendment to the defense spending bill, titled Prohibition of Department of Defense Medical Treatment Related to Gender Transition and offered by Rep. Vicky Hartzler, a Missouri anti-LGBTQ Republican, would have denied medical treatment for gender transition for military personnel and their dependents. Transgender people currently serving in the military have been able to serve openly and receive the necessary medical care for transitioning since June of 2016, after the Obama administration lifted the ban on open service for current members, ending discharges and involuntary separation. Hartzlers amendment was an outright attack on transgender people promoted by the usual nasty band of homophobic, transphobic GOPers in the House whove had a stranglehold on the leadership for years. The amendment was allowed out of committee, and Ryan expected it to pass. Conservativeswerent happy about what happened.

Its a major loss for Pence and the [GOP House] leadership, Matt Thorn, executive director of OutServe-Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), one of several groups that were lobbying vigorously against it, told me regarding the narrow 209-214 vote.

And of course, it was a win for trans people. Advocates from the coalition of groups, including the American Military Partner Association, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center For Transgender Equality and the ACLU, were fully engaged and fought hard, as did Democratic leaders in the House. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer spoke out, demanding the amendment be removed.They are fighting to rip away the health care of thousands of brave service members. Pelosi said. This cowardly Republican amendment targeting transgender men and women in uniform effectively bans these patriotic Americans from serving their country.

And they actually got the help of Defense Secretary James Mattis. CNN, citing congressional and Pentagon sources, reported that Mattis called Hartzler to pressure her to drop the amendment. (Mattis, citing service chiefs who wanted more time to prepare, had last monthput off for six months a plan to allow new transgender recruits, something advocates werent happy about, though they expect him to follow through.) When that didnt work, Mattis lobbied individual GOP House members to vote against the amendment.

Mattis had far more influence here than the vice president did, Thorn notes.

Thats remarkable. In addition to exposing rifts within the administration, it reflects how, with Donald Trumps approval numbers underwater, the White House has little sway right now among key House members and it reflects how far acceptance of transgender people has come. Most of the 24 GOPers who voted against the amendment, including Representatives Darrell Issa of California, Barbara Comstock of Virginia, and Carlos Curbelo of Florida, are vulnerable, in districts that Democrats will be confidently and aggressively targeting in 2018.

Since the 2016 election, weve heard ad nauseum from a subset of Democratic activists, pundits, and strategists that one reason Trump won is because Democrats are too focused on identity politics, or what Columbia University professor Mark Lilla, in a New York Times piece, derogatorily called a fixation on diversity and identity drama. In an op-ed two weeks ago in the Times, headlined, Back to the Center, Democrats, Mark Penn and Andrew Stein warnedthat Democrats had become mired in transgender bathroom issues, among other things, ignoring white working class voters who feel abandoned. Its the same old mantra, which amounts to a call for pandering to bigotry.

But what happened this week proved, once again, that that kind of thinking isnt just offensive; its bad political strategy. The Democrats stuck together, standing up for whats right but also for their base which is a diverse and large coalition and it was the Republicans who went on the run.

In the face of the danger of a rollback not just on rights for queer people but for all minorities under attack in the Trump era, this showed that standing firm, energizing activists in the base and resisting rather than pandering and caving in is the way to win.

Follow Michelangelo Signorile on Twitter:www.twitter.com/msignorile

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Vulnerable Republicans Just Showed Why Fighting For Trans Rights Is A Political Winner - HuffPost

WASHINGTON Senate Republican leaders cant seem to find the votes to repeal and replace Obamacare. Theyve had no help from Democrats, of course, who oppose what theyre doingand havent been consulted anyway. But theyve also had no help from two senators in their own party: Susan Collinsof Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Collins and Paul have been a hard no on both of the GOP health care bills unveiled over the last month. Thats made things exceptionally difficult for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.),who can afford to lose only two Republican votes. Its left his latest Obamacare repeal bill hanging by a thread, as a handful of Republicans on the fence threaten to produce the fatal third vote.

Theyre an unlikely pair to ended up united against their party on something. Collins is a pro-abortion rights moderate from a state that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton carried in 2016; Paul is a libertarian-leaning conservative who regularly rails against big government. But their different ideologies explain why they are so opposed to what GOP leaders are doing.

The thrust of Collinsconcern is that Republicans are trying to repeal too much of the Affordable Care Act, to the point where people will get hurt. The GOPs latest bill, which was released Thursday, would cut overall Medicaid funding by more than 30 percent and eliminate the Affordable Care Acts expansion of that program. That would mean millions fewer people would have access to Medicaid, namely low-income and elderly people.

Collins wasted little time announcing her opposition to the bill and instead urged her colleagues to change course and work on a bipartisan fix to Obamacare.

Collins also has problems with the sheer number of people who would lose health care coverage under the bill and the plans negative effect on health care access in rural areas.

The Congressional Budget Office hasnt yet released its estimates on the revision of the health care bill, but under the original Senate version, which isnt that different from the new one,roughly 22 million people would lose coverage.

Susan Collins

Paul, meanwhile, argues that the GOP health care billswouldnt repeal enough of the Affordable Care Act. Hes complained all year about Republicans leaving too much of the law intact, and, when GOP leaders unveiled their initial health care bill in June, he ripped it as too expensive and doomed to fail.

The bill is just being lit up like a Christmas tree full of billion-dollar ornaments, and its not repeal, Paul fumed in a Fox News Sunday interviewearlier this month.

Now the Republicans are getting so weak-kneed theyre saying, Oh, were afraid to repeal the taxes, he continued. What happened to these people? They all were for repealing Obamacare. Now theres virtually no one left.

The Kentucky senator is even less happy with the revised health care bill, which includes new insurance deregulation provisions. The language was added to win support from conservatives, but it comes with more federal spending a big no-no for Paul, who fundamentally disagrees with the idea of the government subsidizing health care.

He aired his grievances in a Thursday op-ed in The Washington Times, headlined Crony Capitalism Isnt a Right, So Why Does Senate Healthcare Bill Give Insurance Companies the Right to a Bailout?

I really cant describe my level of disappointment, Paul wrote. Crony capitalism is enshrined as a right by the new GOP Obamacare bill, while that bill does little to nothing to repeal Obamacare or fix our ailing healthcare sector.

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How 2 Republicans Ended Up At Odds With Their Party On Health Care - HuffPost

Photo: Johnathon Henninger / For Hearst Connecticut Media

Tim Herbst signs a banner for a friend after announcing his run for Governor of Connecticut at Trumbull High School on Thursday, June 8, 2017.

Tim Herbst signs a banner for a friend after announcing his run for Governor of Connecticut at Trumbull High School on Thursday, June 8, 2017.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton attended the announcement by New Milford's Pete Bass of his candidacy for mayor on Tuesday evening, July 11, 2017, in New Milford, Conn.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton attended the announcement by New Milford's Pete Bass of his candidacy for mayor on Tuesday evening, July 11, 2017, in New Milford, Conn.

Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti speaks after being announced as grand marshal of the 109th Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade at Port 5 Naval Veterans Hall in Bridgeport, Conn. on Monday, June 19, 2017.

Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti speaks after being announced as grand marshal of the 109th Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade at Port 5 Naval Veterans Hall in Bridgeport, Conn. on Monday, June 19, 2017.

Prasad Srinivasan, Republican

Prasad Srinivasan, Republican

Peter Lumaj of Fairfield, Republican candidate for Connecticut Secretary of the State.

Peter Lumaj of Fairfield, Republican candidate for Connecticut Secretary of the State.

Republicans torn over publicly-funded state elections

The top Republican contenders for governor find themselves at cross-purposes with lawmakers from their own party over publicly funded elections in 2018, with millions of dollars for their campaigns at stake in upcoming budget negotiations.

They have spent months trying to qualify for public funds under Connecticuts clean-elections program, a slog that requires them to raise $250,000 from individuals in $100 increments or less. Some are more than half-way toward unlocking $1.4 million for the GOP primary and $6.5 million for the general election if they become the nominee.

But GOP budget hawks want to cut the program to help close a $5 billion deficit, saying that the potential $40 million cost of subsidizing candidates up and down the ballot is too much and that there is a shortfall for the first time in the programs history.

The schism has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the wide open race going into a the special budget session, which had been scheduled for Tuesday but has been delayed by majority Democrats to build support for their plans.

Obviously, having raised almost 60 percent of the grant and being on the back nine, I hope going through this process the program will still be in place, said Tim Herbst, Trumbulls first selectman. Now youve had people give you a quarter of a million dollars for nothing.

The cost of publicly-funded elections in Connecticut

2008: $9 million

2010: $27.3 million*

2012: $10.8 million

2014: $33.4 million*

2016: $11.5 million

2018: $40 million

* denotes governors race

denotes forecast by the Office of Fiscal Analysis

Source: Citizens Election Program

Tarnished by a pay-to-play scandal that led to the resignation and imprisonment of Gov. John G. Rowland a decade ago, the state created the program to wean candidates off special-interest money and free them from the time required for fundraising.

The programs popularity has been on the rise, with $33.4 million awarded to 287 candidates for statewide office and the Legislature in 2014. Nearly half of that total $15.8 million was spent on the governors race.

GOP leaders are warning of a $10 million shortfall for 2018, however. Until now, the program has relied on proceeds from the sale of abandoned property and unclaimed bottle deposits to cover its cost.

Were broke and its kind of tough to say, Were going to cut Medicaid and were going to cut social services programs so we can fund pencils, pens and political paraphernalia, said Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, of North Haven. I dont think anybody has an advantage or disadvantage if the system goes away.

House GOP Leader Themis Klarides, of Derby, said its about priorities.

I dont think anybodys definition is taxpayer-funded elections, Klarides said. Im sure there are people that wouldnt be happy about it.

Longtime GOP Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, who is coming off a record-setting quarter in which he raised $145,090, said now isnt the time to abandon the program.

Its a little late in the game to be talking about that unless they have a sunset clause that gets you past the next cycle, Lauretti said. You know 15 to 20 people have started down this path. Think of the thousands of Connecticut residents that have donated. Isnt that a little disingenuous to them?

If lawmakers want to rein in the programs expenses, Lauretti said, they should look at the grant amounts for legislative candidates and the types of expenditures allowed.

I.e. golf balls and golf tees with their name on them and tee-shirts, Lauretti said.

If it wasnt for the program, Lauretti said, he probably could not afford to run for governor.

Im not independently wealthy, number one, he said. Good, bad or indifferent, the program does demonstrate to a certain degree that a candidate has support.

As a state legislator, Republican Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton voted against publicly-funded elections. Now as a potential third-time candidate for governor, he has raised $162,000 to try to qualify for the program.

Ive never believed that the government should be funding campaigns, particularly a government thats $5 billion in the hole, Boughton said. If I were governor, I would seriously look at dismantling the program.

Boughton said he is prepared for whatever outcome, including going back to his 2,000 contributors if the program and its $100 cap are abandoned.

Right now, were operating under the rules that are put in place, Boughton said.

Westport businessman Steve Obsitnik, whose exploratory committee raised $201,567 during the second quarter, said he doesnt need public funds to be viable.

These are tough financial times for Connecticut, Obsitnik said. I defer to the Legislature.

Bridgeport Republican Dave Walker, the former U.S. comptroller general, said the program needs to be reformed, but should be preserved. He would eliminate grants for House and Senate candidates, as well as do away with separate primaries and grants for lieutenant governor.

I could probably have an advantage if it was eliminated, but I think it has intellectual merit at least for the office of governor, Walker said. You want to try to encourage people who may not be wealthy to run and try to provide a level playing field.

State Rep. Prasad Srinivasan, R-Glastonbury, who has raised $205,103, said he could accept the program being suspended, but only if it is part of a comprehensive budget fix.

Obviously, its going to impact me very personally, he said. At the end of the day youve got to do whats right. I think (the program) is an equalizer. There are parts of a budget that you like and there are parts of the budget you dont like.

Fairfield Republican immigration lawyer Peter Lumaj has raised $281,130 for his exploratory committee for governor, but only $76,000 counts toward public financing because of a high percentage of out-of-state donors.

I've never believed that taxpayers should foot this bill, but unfortunately, professional politicians have created a system in which individuals cannot be competitive in Connecticut elections unless they are self-funding millionaires or participants in (the program), Lumaj said. We need to reexamine donation and expenditure limits, within reason, to fix this problem. If we address those concerns we can create an election environment that remains competitive while removing the burden off of the backs of hardworking taxpayers.

Herbst said lawmakers should consider scaling back the grants to the levels before 2010, when Democrats overrode a veto of then-GOP Gov. M. Jodi Rell and doubled the funds available to governor candidates.

Look, they wouldnt be fiscal conservatives if they werent looking at it, and, for that, I respect them, Herbst said of GOP leaders.

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Republicans torn over publicly-funded state elections - CT Post