Senate

Third time turned out to be unlucky after all.

Earlier today, Sen. Susan Collins said that she has serious concerns about the latest GOP bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare as Republicans prepare to vote on the legislation next week, adding that she was "leaning against the bill... I’m just trying to do what I believe is the right thing for the people of Maine."  And with Collins voicing against the bill, it meant that GOP leadership would be left with no room for error if they want to get their last-ditch ObamaCare repeal bill through the Senate next week.

Update from Bloomberg: McCain still on the fence:

• MCCAIN SAYS NOT SUPPORTIVE AT THIS TIME OF GRAHAM-CASSIDY BILL
• MCCAIN: WILL DISCUSS GRAHAM-CASSIDY HEALTH BILL W/COLLEAGUES

McCain sounds very much like a no on TrumpCare, calls for markups, amendments, debate in scrum. "I'm not supportive of the bill yet."

— Jeff Stein (@JStein_Vox) September 18, 2017

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Appending to an earlier announcement by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, according to whom the House would not add Harvey disaster funds to the debt ceiling bill, Dow Jones reports that Republican lawmakers are set to vote on the Harvey aid bill on Wednesday, and instead of raising the debt ceiling, they will suspend it, likely kicking the can until some time in December when the whole farce would have to repeat itself again, although the exact length of the extension remains under discussion.

Authored by MN Gordon via EconomicPrism.com,

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell woke up on the wrong side of the bed on Monday.  Who could blame him?  His summer vacation’s been ruined.  President Trump’s been riding him all month like a pack mule.

According to a new bombshell report from the NYT, the relationship between President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has "disintegrated" in recent week "to the point that they have not spoken to each other in weeks", prompting the Kentucky senator to express doubts if Trump can succeed in office and "salvage the presidency" after a summer of controversies and crises.