THE LAST-CHANCE EFFORT AT OBAMACARE REPLACEMENT – AT 10:38 A.M. ET:  The Republicans in the Senate are trying to pass legislation that will replace Obamacare with block grants to states.  Not the greatest idea, but better than what we have now.  But even this might not get through some determined opposition from within their own party.  From AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump said Wednesday the Republicans' last-resort "Obamacare" repeal effort remains two or three votes short, forecasting days of furious lobbying ahead with a crucial deadline looming next week.

The legislation by Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina would repeal major pillars of former President Barack Obama's health law, replacing them with block grants to states to design their own health care programs. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is trying to round up 50 votes to pass the legislation before Sept. 30, when special rules preventing a Democratic filibuster will expire.

"We think this has a very good chance, Obamacare is only getting worse," Trump told reporters covering the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, as he prepared to meet Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. "At some point the Senate is going to be forced to make a deal."

By his reckoning, "we're at 47 or 48 already, senators, and a lot of others are looking at it very positively."

Trump's comments came several hours after McConnell's office announced that the majority leader's "intention" is to bring the legislation to the Senate floor next week, a question McConnell was noncommittal on a day earlier. After the embarrassing defeat of an earlier repeal bill in July, some Republicans believe McConnell would bring a bill to the floor only with the votes in hand.

COMMENT:  This will be a tight, tension-ridden situation, which might require Vice President Pence to break a tie.

Democrats will not provide a single vote.  Republicans aren't even trying to get Democratic senators on board, so bad is the partisanship.  But should the Republican proposal pass the Senate, the momentum could build in the House, and repeal-and-replacement of Obamacare could become a reality.

September 21, 2017