GOP senators say no-go on Obamacare replacement

July 18--WASHINGTON -- President Trump called on Congress last night to repeal Obamacare and "start from a clean slate" after two GOP defections dealt a blow to current plans for repealing and replacing Obamacare, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he'll push for a straight repeal.

"Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare plan that will start from a clean slate. Dems will join in!" Trump tweeted last night.

McConnell, facing defeat on his Obamacare replacement, said he'll push the Senate to pass a clean repeal bill, hours after two Republican senators dealt a fatal blow to the replacement bill unveiled last Thursday. GOP U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Mike Lee joined two other senators in opposing the legislation, meaning McConnell lacked the votes to move ahead.

"Regretfully, it is now apparent that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failure of Obamacare will not be successful," McConnell said.

McConnell says that in the coming days, the Senate will consider the House-passed bill, with the first order of business a repeal of Obamacare with a two-year delay. He did not say when the vote will occur.

The news of the critical loss of votes came as police are investigating a letter threatening the life of U.S. Sen. Dean Heller left at his Las Vegas office over the weekend, adding a new dimension to the increasingly bitter debate over Senate Republicans' health care legislation.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police found the letter attached to the door of Nevada Republican's office Sunday morning while responding to a security company's burglary alarm. Police did not disclose the contents of the note, citing the ongoing investigation, but the Nevada Independent reported that the note was from someone claiming that they would die if they lost their health care, and that Heller would die too.

Police initially reported that a break-in had occurred at Heller's office, but later clarified that to say someone made an unauthorized entry into the building where Heller's office is located, but not the office itself. Heller's office referred questions to the police.

Heller's seat is seen as one of the party's most vulnerable ahead of next year's midterm elections.

Heller has not yet indicated whether he will back the latest draft of the bill. A vote set for this week was delayed because U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had to have surgery to remove a blood clot. McCain is expected to spend at least a week in Arizona recovering, and the vote, if any, has been pushed back until he can be present in Washington.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

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