"For everybody, it’s going to be the big deal, it’s going to be the big war," Norman said. "DACA, the devil’s in the details about that."
Then there’s the question of Obamacare’s future, which continues to haunt the Capitol.
Senator Susan Collins of Maine says she has a commitment from McConnell to allow votes on two Obamacare bills meant to lower premiums by restoring cost-sharing reduction payments and by setting up a reinsurance program. But they face strong opposition among Republicans in the House.
A compromise could involve passing just the reinsurance portion along with expiring Medicare provisions. Congress must reauthorize a number of Medicare payment policies -- many of which expire at the end of 2017 -- or doctors, hospitals, and other health-care providers could face large cuts. The policies make payment adjustments that particularly benefit critical providers in rural areas and account for other regional variations in the cost of providing health care. They also extend coverage options for older Americans with special needs that require care coordination and disease management. House Republicans and Democrats reached a deal in November to reauthorize funding for the policies.
Some Republicans want to make another run at repealing Obamacare once these leftovers are out of the way.
McConnell has suggested that repeal is off the table. That sparked a furious rebuke from Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who wants to spearhead another attempt. The math in the Senate for achieving that will only worsen in January once Alabama Democrat Doug Jones is sworn in and the Republican majority shrinks to 51 members.
McConnell on Thursday also suggested cutting entitlements won’t be on the agenda next year, a day after House Speaker Paul Ryan said he wants to push welfare-to-work proposals. McConnell could use the budget process to try to ram through work requirements for welfare, food stamps and Medicaid, though that could be politically difficult in an election year.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.