GOP senators are facing pushback for coming out against Republicans' new repeal-and-delay healthcare strategy, reports Politico.
The Senate Conservatives Fund, a national grassroots organization, has vowed to "identify, recruit, and fund conservative challengers" for these senators during reelection campaigns, the report states.
"Republicans have promised to repeal ObamaCare for years, and now with President Trump in the White House there is no excuse for them to break their promise," SCF Chairman Ken Cuccinelli told The Hill.
Three Senate Republicans — Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — indicated this week they won't support a procedural motion to take up the repeal-and-delay approach. The approach was proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., following the failure of the Senate GOP's revised Better Care Reconciliation Act Monday.
Trump supporter and Texas businessman Doug Deason said he and other major Republican donors were considering funding primary challengers to senators who opposed the BCRA, reports Politico.
In a text message, Mr. Deason referred to Ms. Collins, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Ms. Capito, as "the spineless Republican members from Maine, Arizona and West Virginia who seem to believe that Obamacare is actually succeeding."
He added, "It will be disappointing to see these three lose their reelection campaigns to Democrats — unless we can find better candidates to run in the primary races against them."
But the publication notes although some Republican Party officials project senators who opposed the bill would see a decrease in fundraising, others pundits suggest those senators "might be safer than they appear at the moment."
"In the days leading up to the legislation's collapse, senior party officials reviewed polling indicating that the conservative base wasn't enthusiastic about the replacement bill. Plus, outside efforts like Senate Conservatives Fund have failed in the past to mount serious primary challenges," reports Politico.