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Hoping to avoid a humiliating political defeat, President Trump on Wednesday demanded that Republican senators resume their efforts to approve a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, insisting that lawmakers are “very close.” A day after the GOP strategy to roll back the ACA appeared dead, Trump invited Republican senators to lunch at the White House and challenged them to work out an agreement even if it means remaining in Washington through their summer recess next month. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had previously announced that the recess would be delayed by two weeks.

A Muslim candidate for the U.S. Senate in Arizona is being bombarded on her Facebook page by hateful attacks on her faith. Now Democrat Deedra Abboud is getting support from what might seem to be an unlikely place: Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, the man whose job she wants. Abboud, an attorney and activist, is believed to be the first Muslim statewide candidate in Arizona history.

Democratic dreams of seizing Congress appear to be exactly that Some Democrats dream of recapturing control of Congress in 2018 and impeaching Donald Trump, but the odds are stacked against them despite the president’s early troubles and historically low approval ratings. Seizing the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a 46-seat advantage, would be tough nut to crack. Yet Democrats might run into a brick wall in their bid to win back the Senate even though Republicans only hold a slender 52-48 edge. How come? An extremely unfavorable Senate map. Of the 33 senators up for reelection in a year...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), one of the Senate's fiercest Wall Street critics, attended a Democratic donor retreat over the weekend hosted by former UBS bank executive Robert Wolf, who last year lashed out against politicians that target Wall Street for political gain. Wolf hosted Warren as part of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's annual donor retreat in Martha's Vineyard. He wrote on Twitter that he was "honored" to host Warren, who was joined by other Democratic senators at the fundraiser. Wolf, a financial backer and friend of former President Barack Obama, a Clinton Foundation donor, and a co-chair for...

Totally useless, "Never Trumper:, Republican Senate Leader, Mitch McConnell should call for a Senate vote today to eliminate the "Sixty Vote" rule in the Senate. Simple, folks...Fifty One votes makes for a majority. End of story!!! Let's see if this weak sister of a back stabbing, lie telling, Republican leader has any spine or loyalty to his party, country and the American people. McConnell pass that law ...NOW, or resign this afternoon...you complete failure and Trump traitor to boot!!! You could lead your way out of a cardboard box.

Two things:1. REPEAL AND REPLACE! – Charlie Daniels style:    2. He’s not just talking about the Republicans: POLL: 52 Percent Of Americans Think Democratic Party Just Stands Against TrumpREPEAL AND REPLACE CONGRESS! CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!Posted from: MOTUS A.D.

Link only, due to copyright:Businessman, vet John James files for U.S. Senate

It would appear Mitch McConnell, and the larger congress, just lit the fuse on “the big ugly“. Winter is coming • President Trump has requested all Republican Senators to attend a White House luncheon, held entirely in their honor, tomorrow. • President Trump has also announced a MAGA rally to be held in Youngstown Ohio, next week. • Not coincidentally this rally announcement comes on the same day Ohio governor John Kasich writes an op-ed in the New York Times gleefully celebrating the defeat of the senate healthcare reform and ObamaCare repeal. • HHS Secretary Tom Price is NOT HAPPY....

It is "pretty clear there are not 50 Republicans at the moment for a replacement," McConnell said at a news conference following an all-GOP Senate lunch. But he still insisted that there would be a repeal-only vote "in the very near future." While the Kentucky Republican did not specify when that vote would be, Senate GOP whip John Cornyn told reporters afterward that the it would likely happen some time this week.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) says she will not support moving forward with a plan to repeal ObamaCare with a delayed replacement, effectively killing the latest legislative gambit from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). With Murkowski's defection, GOP leaders do not have the votes to move forward to an ObamaCare repeal bill that passed the Senate in 2015, but was vetoed by then-President Obama. Earlier Tuesday, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) also said they will not support moving to the repeal-only bill. Republicans can only afford two defections if Vice President Pence breaks a tie.

This is breaking on McConnel's twitter feed. Statement to abandon repeal/replace for a straight repeal with a 2 year delay to replace.

You scoff now, but you’ll feel differently in 2019 when Trump and McConnell enact sweeping entitlement reform with the barest majority. Deciding votes: Senator Jenner of California and Senator Rock of Michigan.I can’t decide if Jenner would be better off running for the House than for Senate or if a statewide run is realistically her only play. Fun fact: In the past 25 years, only one Republican has topped so much as 43 percent in a Senate race in California. That was Arianna Huffington’s husband, Michael, who in 1994 spent the most money on a non-presidential race in American...

This parade of the addled, the lame and the simply ineffective and dim could go on and on, but here’s the point: Congress is in the process of deciding what the nation’s health insurance system – and therefore, the nation’s health delivery system – will look like for coming generations. This is unfortunately a federal intervention into 1/6th of the U.S. economy that the leaders of both political parties agree needs to happen. The Democrats accomplished the initial takeover in 2010 without a single Republican vote, and the Republicans appear to be limping towards making some sort of “reform” to...

The Senate will defer consideration of the GOP healthcare plan that would partially repeal and replace Obamacare until Sen. John McCain returns to work following a procedure to remove a blood clot from above his left eye, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement late Saturday. After wishing him a "speedy recovery," McConnell, R-Ky., added: "While John is recovering, the Senate will continue our work on legislative items and nominations, and will defer consideration of the Better Care Act." About two hours earlier McCain's office revealed that he would be spending a week in his home state of...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and the GOP leadership are scrambling this week to corral 50 out of 52 Republican votes for an historically unpopular health-care bill. Why did so many House Republicans already vote for a bill that large majorities in every state detest? And why are their Senate colleagues considering walking the same plank, given the electoral risk? In our book, “Representing Red and Blue: How the Culture Wars Change the Way Citizens Speak and Politicians Listen,” we find that thumbing one’s nose at public opinion might spell trouble for elected Democrats. But Republicans typically have much...

The new bill includes major changes to the original. One of the most significant was the inclusion of an amendment by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, which would allow insurers offering Obamacare plans to also offer cheaper, bare-bones policies. The amendment was included in an effort to earn more conservative support, but could also drive away some moderates who fear the amendment could drive up premiums for those with pre-existing conditions.

For months now, the country has waited with interminable patience to see what the Trump Administration would do with healthcare policy. Few believed the Affordable Care Act—Obamacare—was ever a perfect solution, and Republicans spent 7 years campaigning on its immediate repeal. But even though several healthcare exchanges are collapsing and millions around the country are in danger of losing healthcare services provided by Obamacare, Republicans have had a difficult time figuring out how to go from the party of “no Obamacare” to the party of healthcare solutions. After much wrangling, the House eventually passed a bill that was imperfect in...

An outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump who narrowly lost a bid to be Virginia’s GOP candidate for governor is now running for the U.S. Senate. Corey Stewart announced his Senate candidacy Thursday, saying he is the type of Republican “fighter” needed to unseat Sen. Tim Kaine in next year’s election. […] Several other Republicans, including former Gov. Jim Gilmore and former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, have also expressed interest in running. …

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who has played a central role in negotiating the Senate healthcare reform bill, says a new version of the legislation is expected to be unveiled Monday. The revised bill gives Senate GOP leaders a second chance to round up 50 votes to repeal and replace major parts of ObamaCare, after their first attempt stalled before the July Fourth recess because of divisions within the Republican conference. “We’ve got a new version that comes out today. We’ll get new scores from CBO. And there’s a shot of getting to 50 [votes]. Mike Pence breaks the tie,” Toomey,...

Roy Moore, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, announced an endorsement for his U.S. Senate campaign that may well resonate with the Crimson Tide nation. Former Alabama All-SEC running back Siran Stacy appeared with Moore on Thursday night at a candidate forum in Huntsville. *** "The hopelessness is over for America," Stacy said. "God is raising up generals all over this great nation and he's raising up one specially in Alabama. I'm honored to be a part of Judge Moore's team." Stacy played from 1989-91 after transferring to Alabama. He helped lead the 1989 team to the Sugar...