Welcome back everybody. The House is out this week and the Senate is out Thursday and Friday with a lot to sort out before they skip town. Graham-Cassidy has people on edge because, if nothing else, it is still alive. The prognosis for Graham-Cassidy remains challenging. The Congressional Budget Office still needs to score the bill and the bill will have to undergo the Byrd Bath. Senator John McCain (AZ) voiced support for the bipartisan committee work ongoing in the Senate HELP Committee this weekend, becoming the latest Senator to throw cold water on the Graham-Cassidy effort. Senators Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) also remain key hold outs, and both sit on the Senate HELP Committee. The timing of the Alexander-Murray HELP stabilization package and the CBO score are critical moving forward.

There are twelve days to go before the reconciliation instructions expire in the Senate, and Republicans appear more open to another run at repeal, if for no other reason than not wanting to tell Graham-Cassidy “NO!” The next forty-eight hours should offer some insight into the plausibility of the bill moving forward, as the Republican caucus will meet tomorrow to gauge support. Will there be enough Republicans ready to stop Graham-Cassidy now or will they wait to see numbers, driving this conversation into next week?