Passing an Obamacare replacement won’t be any easier inthe Senate than in the House, Senate Majority Leader MitchMcConnell said Tuesday while refusing to guarantee that hischamber’s plan will keep all of the House bill’s tax cuts.

"This is a really tough issue," the Kentucky Republican said inan interview with Bloomberg News. "You all covered extensively thedifficulty of getting a bill out of the House. It won’t be anyeasier getting it out of the Senate."

He acknowledged concerns by moderate Republican Susan Collins ofMaine and other senators who say the House bill’s tax cuts are toolarge, but McConnell said he didn’t want to discuss specificapproaches as Republicans seek consensus.

"My goal is to try to get to 50 votes for something that repealsand replaces Obamacare," the Kentucky Republican said.Republicans control the Senate 52-48, and Vice President Mike Pencecan cast a tiebreaker vote.

Every Republican senator will have a voice in crafting theSenate bill during party lunches, he said.

"We’re devoting almost all of our time, Tuesday, Wednesday andThursday of every week to the discussion about how to go forward.I’m not going to handicap what might be in a bill that could get to50 votes," McConnell said. A 13-member working group is alsoworking on a bill.

"What I said in the first meeting of the working group is ifyou’re not here to get to yes, you’re in the wrong meeting," hesaid.

$1 trillion tax cut

The House Republican measure would repeal a key piece of formerPresident Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act -- the requirementthat individuals get health insurance and that most employersprovide it to their workers. It would wind down an expansion ofMedicaid insurance for the poor and eliminate almost $1 trillion intaxes on the wealthy, insurers, drugmakers and others used to fundthe law. The House narrowly passed the bill on May 4.

McConnell said there’s some urgency for a deal given the"disaster" in the private insurance market.

"I’m not going to put a precise date on it, but there is a senseof urgency about it because of what’s happening with the statusquo," he said. "The exchanges are cratering, insurance companiesare pulling out."

Several Republican senators, led by Collins and Bill Cassidy ofLouisiana, have crafted a plan that would keep most of theAffordable Care Act’s taxes in place as part of an alternative theyhope will expand coverage and lower premiums.

Collins and Cassidy held a bipartisan meeting Monday night withnine other senators to discuss the potential for a compromise.

“It was to discuss whether or not there is a bipartisan pathforward on health care,” Collins said afterward. "I don’t want tooverstate it, but there were some interesting ideas that wereadvanced tonight."

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