Five Senate Republicans have introduced an amendment that would push back the Obamacare repeal legislation deadline — in the budget resolution being considered on the Senate floor — by more than a month.
Here's the thing: the current deadline included in the budget resolution, January 27, isn't binding. So while committees are expected to report out a repeal bill by then, they don't have to. The amendment pushing the deadline back to March 3 isn't necessary.
Why it matters: This is another signal that Sens. Bob Corker, Rob Portman, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski — the authors of the amendment — have serious concerns about repealing Obamacare before a replacement is crafted. Most of these members have declined to say they'll vote to do so, and if they don't, that sinks the repeal effort.