Senate Republicans are addressing questions regarding the 13-member group working on the party's healthcare bill that includes no women, reports Reuters.
The Senate recently selected the all-male group to work on repealing and replacing the ACA.
In response to questions about why the group is comprised of only men, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said: "The working group that counts is all 52" Republican senators, according to the report. Mr. McConnell, who appointed the group, added: "Nobody is being excluded based upon gender ... Everybody's at the table. Everybody."
But Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., contended Republican men are working on "a secret healthcare plan, which I really hope is not happening in the men's locker room," reports Reuters.
The remarks come days after the House passed the GOP's American Health Care Act. The bill has since moved to the Senate. Some GOP senators expect to establish a similar Senate bill by mid-summer — potentially with Democratic input — while other senators said it could be months before a Senate healthcare bill is ready, according to Reuters.
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