Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana says he plans to try again next year to get a healthcare bill through the Senate, after he and fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham failed to win enough support for the measure last month.
"Obviously there are things that have to change," he told Mike Allen of the website Axios.
Cassidy also expressed disappointment with late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who accused Cassidy of lying about the benefits of the Graham-Cassidy bill.
"I wish Kimmel had called me, not to confront but to explain," Cassidy told Axios.
Cassidy, a medical doctor, added that he expects opposition anytime Republicans try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, one of former President Barack Obama's top accomplishments. However, critics complain that Obamacare burdens Americans with soaring insurance premiums and high deductibles.
"You have to realize there's people who are going to push back, however misleading and that will be echoed by others," Cassidy said.
The Graham-Cassidy bill would have basically turned the federal healthcare markets to the states. The two senators withdrew their bill when they realized they had too little support for passage.
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