Lee cuts a deal with McConnell on Obamacare vote, avoiding floor fight on highways
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After tensions flared up behind closed doors, and on the brink of a nasty intra-GOP floor fight, Mitch McConnell and Mike Lee cut a deal to move the highway bill forward and queue up an Obamacare repeal that could make it to the President's desk.
The 1st bit of background:
The Senate is currently debating the highway bill, with a measure to revive the Export-Import Bank attached to it. Democrats on Sunday successfully filibustered an amendment to repeal Obamacare. Sen. Mike Lee, a conservative and regular thorn in Mitch McConnell's side, pointed out last Friday that the GOP could on Monday night circumvent the 60-vote threshold for their Obamacare repeal provision. Lee explained the basic parliamentary details in an announcement.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Attaching Obamacare repeal to the highway bill wouldn't result in Obamacare going away, but it would bring down the highway bill--and thus keep Ex-Im dead.