Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As GOP Election-Day Confidence Grows, McConnell Reiterates Obamacare Opposition
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is reassuring conservatives that his position on Obamacare has never wavered as Republicans grow increasingly confident that they will take the Senate and install McConnell as the majority leader. McConnell鈥檚 comments Tuesday to Neil Cavuto that a standalone repeal vote would require 60 votes and a presidential signature were taken as a change in position from the Kentucky senator鈥檚 frequent references to the goal of repealing the health care law 鈥渞oot and branch.鈥 NPR posted a headline that 鈥淢cConnell Concedes GOP Senate Will Not Mean Obamacare Repeal鈥 while the Senate Conservatives Fund likened it to a 鈥渟urrender.鈥 (Everett, 10/31)
Republicans have been eerily quiet about the president's health care law on the campaign trail lately. But that's likely to change if the GOP is victorious and wins control of the Senate next week. (Ehley, 10/30)
Here鈥檚 a solid prediction about next Tuesday鈥檚 elections: They鈥檒l be crucial to the future of universal health care in America 鈥 or at least its near-term future. For those who believe universal coverage is a good thing, prospects aren鈥檛 good, judging from an analysis of 27 national polls scoured by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. (Knox, 10/30)