The new Senate Republican healthcare bill has been unveiled to the public. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) opened the Senate this morning with a speech about repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, unveiling the Senate's version of the Republican healthcare bill.
McConnell hopes to get the bill passed before legislators return home for the July 4th holiday. The bill, which is similar to the one that narrowly passed the House earlier last month, was drafted in secret by Republicans, without public hearings.
Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill will strip health care away from millions of Americans and will lead to huge tax breaks for the nation's wealthiest citizens. Schumer slammed the Republican's bill calling it a "wolf in sheep's clothing."
House Speaker Paul Ryan says he's gratified by the news that the new Senate Healthcare bill is similar to the House bill that passed last month. He told the media this morning that he had been briefed on the Senate's version of the bill, but had not had a chance to read it yet.
Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who helped marshal Obamacare through the House seven years ago, called the Senate Republican's efforts to remake healthcare "heartless" during a press conference this morning.
The California Democrat said if the measure passes, the results would be devastating for millions of Americans and would lead to big tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has not scored the bill yet.