John Thune: Tax reform will likely be the focus if health care fails this week

Sen. John Thune said Tuesday that if the GOP health care bill doesn’t pass this week, then the Senate should shift its focus to tax reform.

“The focus is trying to get the votes for this right now, but if for some reason we have to pivot, I think the next step is to move tax reform, and I think that needs to be our focus. This is an issue the American people care deeply about,” Mr. Thune, South Dakota Republican, said on Fox News, referring to tax reform.

The senator said that he still hopes the current Graham-Cassidy legislation passes the Senate, despite four Republican senators coming out against it. Mr. Thune said the bill is a good first step toward fixing the health insurance system by placing control back in the states.

“I think this particular proposal, Graham-Cassidy, is a very innovative approach consistent with what we believe ought to happen with health care in this country,” he said.

The bill gives funding to the states in block grants to design their own health care systems while also repealing the Obamacare mandates. Those who have come out against it all have different reasons for their positions. Some Republicans, like Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, say it doesn’t go far enough in repealing Obamacare. Others, like Sen. John McCain of Arizona, say they want a score from the Congressional Budget Office before voting.

Mr. Thune said it was up to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as to whether the bill should get a vote, even if the odds of passing look unlikely. Republicans were hoping to vote on the bill this week prior to Sept. 30, so they could try to pass it with a simple 51-vote majority.