Washington DC — Top Senate Republicans say their last-ditch push to uproot former President Barack Obama's health care law is gaining momentum.
But they have less than two weeks to succeed and face a tough fight to win enough GOP support to reverse the summer's self-inflicted defeat on the party's high-priority issue.
"We feel pretty good about it," Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a leader of the effort along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Monday.
"This thing was six feet under" but now has "a lot of very positive buzz," Thune said. With Democrats unanimously against the bill, Republicans commanding the Senate 52-48 would lose if just three GOP senators are opposed.
"He's the grave robber," No. 3 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota said of Cassidy.
That proved a bridge too far in July, when three attempts for passage of similar measures fell short and delivered an embarrassing defeat to President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
McConnell said he'd not bring another alternative to the Senate floor unless he knew he had the 50 votes needed.
Vice President Mike Pence would cast the tie-breaking vote.
A victory would let Senate Republican leaders claim redemption on their "repeal and replace" effort. The House approved its version of the bill in May.