A group of four Senate conservatives issued a joint statement saying they are dissatisfied with the health care reform bill introduced by the leadership but did not rule out negotiations to change the bill more to their liking. Senators Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, and Ron Johnson probably hold the fate of the Senate Obamacare repeal-replace bill and staked out their own position on what needs to happen for them to get behind the effort. The Hill: "There are provisions in this draft that represent an improvement to our current healthcare system but it does not appear this draft as written will accomplish the most important promise that we made to Americans: to repeal Obamacare and lower their healthcare costs." The early opposition of Senate conservatives is a blow to the bill but doesn't mean it's dead yet, even though Republicans control only 52 seats and can afford no more than two defections and still pass the measure. Conservatives want to...(Read Full Post)