But some Republican senators, as well as all the Senate's Democrats, have complained about McConnell's proposal, the secrecy with which he drafted it and the speed with which he'd like to whisk it to passage. She is viewed as one of the key votes on the bill, given that Republicans have only a two-seat advantage in the Senate.
Democrats gathered on the Senate floor and defended Obama's 2010 overhaul.
In a statement, Walker said Alaskans benefiting from the expanded program "have received life-saving care and peace of mind knowing they have health care coverage".
Gov. Bill Walker said he would work close with Alaska's Congressional delegation to protect Alaskans and their unique health care needs.
Four GOP conservative senators - Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Kentucky's Rand Paul and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin - said the bill falls short of GOP promises to erase Mr Obama's law and lower people's costs. It would offer less generous subsidies for people than Obama's law but provide billions to states and insurance companies to buttress markets that in some areas have been abandoned by insurers.
- The Senate bill differs from the House health care measure, so the legislation would have to be reconciled in a House-Senate conference committee. Trump has since called it "mean", despite celebrating it at the Rose Garden with House Republicans.
At the White House on Thursday, Mr Trump expressed hope for quick action.
Ending Obama's expansion has caused major rifts among GOP senators. Some from states that have expanded the program have battled to prolong the phase-out, while conservative Republicans have sought to halt the funds quickly. Medicaid now provides all the money needed to cover eligible recipients and procedures for millions of newly insured people.
Toshiba asks regulators for extension on financial filing
In a bid to revive its financial standing, Toshiba has put its profitable Toshiba Memory Corp. chip unit up for sale. The company was found to have inflated the previous seven years' profits by $1.2bn.
Senate Republicans' new health bill cuts taxes by almost $1 trillion over the next decade, mostly for corporations and the richest families in America.
Or - The House could simply approve the Senate version and send it to the president, though some Republicans may not be on board.
Over months of often bitter debate, Republicans have struggled to craft legislation that lowers costs and reduces government involvement, while minimizing the inevitable disruptions that would come with a revamp of a sector that accounts for one-sixth of the world's largest economy.
KODJAK: But Caroline Pearson of the consulting firm Avalere Health says the bill bases its tax credits on lower-quality insurance.
Obama's health law enacted an additional 3.8 percent tax on investment income for married couples making more than $250,000 a year and individuals making more than $125,000.
The bill would let states get waivers to ignore some coverage requirements under Obama's law, such as specific health services insurers must now cover.
It proposes defunding Planned Parenthood for a year, but abortion-related restrictions are less stringent than the House version because of uncertainty over whether they would comply with Senate rules. "This scheme still includes an age tax on Americans between the ages of 50 and 64, undermines protections for those with pre-existing conditions and takes away coverage for substance abuse treatment, which is vital in combatting the opioid epidemic".
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