- GOP Turns Gloomy over Obamacare Repeal Politico by Burgess Everett and Jennifer Haberkorn–Senators reported that they made little progress on the party's most intractable problems last week, such as how to scale back Obamacare's Medicaid expansion and overall Medicaid spending. Republicans are near agreement on making tax credits for low-income, elderly Americans more generous, but that might be the simplest matter at hand.
- Senate Staff to Draft Health Bill During Recess The Hill by Nathaniel Weixel–Senate Republican staff will be working on a draft version of the Senate's ObamaCare repeal-and-replace legislation during the recess, according to multiple senators. "Over the break, initial legislation will be drafted and then we'll have more time, actually have a basis to discuss" specific policies, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said Thursday after leaving a meeting of the Senate Republicans' health care working group.
- McConnell Frets About Health Care, Hopeful on Tax Overhaul Reuters by Susan Cornwell and Yasmeen Abutaleb–U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday he does not yet know how Republicans will amass the votes needed to pass legislation now being crafted to dismantle Obamacare but expressed some optimism on another top priority, overhauling the tax code. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, McConnell said health care and taxes still top the Republican legislative agenda, and he added that he will not reach out to the minority Democrats on either one because differences between the two parties are too stark.