The Latest: GOP senator criticizes leaders on health care

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Republican legislation overhauling the Obama health care law (all times local):

11:19 a.m.

A conservative Republican senator who doesn't back the GOP health care bill is using unusually sharp tones to criticize party leaders.

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is accusing top Republicans of trying to jam the legislation through the Senate. He says the leadership effort is "a little offensive" and says conservatives haven't had input into the proposal.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced legislation last week rolling back much of President Barack Obama's health care law.

Johnson is among four conservatives and a moderate who said they don't back the measure but haven't ruled out supporting it if it's changed.

McConnell is working this week to make revisions to win over votes. The bill will win approval if just two of the 52 Senate Republicans support it. All Democrats oppose it.

10:54 a.m.

A nonpartisan group representing Republican and Democratic state officials who administer Medicaid programs says the GOP health care legislation advancing toward a Senate vote will not work.

In a strongly worded statement that reflects the "unanimous" views of its board, the National Association of Medicaid Directors said the Republican health care bill would be "a transfer of risk, responsibility, and cost to the states of historic proportions."

While the group's members differ over the concept of federal spending limits on the health program for low-income people, the board agreed that the inflation adjustments in the Senate bill "are insufficient and unworkable."

Medicaid has become perhaps the key sticking point in the congressional debate.

The group said Congress should focus on stabilizing insurance markets for now, and tackle Medicaid overhaul later in a more thoughtful manner.

2:54 a.m.

Senate Republicans skeptical about a GOP health overhaul bill are expressing some doubt about holding a vote on the measure this week.

Lawmakers are awaiting a key analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

President Donald Trump is making a final push to fulfill a key campaign promise, insisting that Republicans are not "that far off" and signaling that last-minute changes are coming to win votes.

So far, five Republican senators are expressing opposition to the Senate GOP plan that would scuttle much of former President Barack Obama's health law. That's more than enough to torpedo the measure developed in private by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The holdouts are expressing willingness to negotiate, but many of them are pushing revisions that could risk alienating moderate Republicans in the process.