We hear that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is warning Republicans that there'll be a political and policy price to pay if healthcare goes down — that failure would have painful implications:
- Senators are being told it's not possible to just let Obamacare fail — that if the Better Care bill fails, Rs will have to work with Ds (horrors!) later this year to help shore up the exchanges.
- That would require Republicans making big concessions on important priorities.
- An aide adds: "He's said publicly that it's a disaster if Better Care doesn't pass. Obamacare exchanges are getting worse, not better; insurers are leaving the exchanges, not growing their presences; premiums are going up, not down."