'This is not good': CNN host astonished by 'crazy' updates on GOP health talks

CNN's Audie Cornish was astonished by updates from her panelists on the state of Republican health care talks.

Senate Republicans have put forth at least five proposals to address the Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring at the end of the year, with a possible vote Thursday, which is putting pressure on House Republicans to come up with their own plan, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) appears paralyzed by a lack of guidance from the White House.

"Yeah, well, look, on healthcare there is no Republicanconsensus on what to do abouthealth care," former GOP congressman Charlie Dent told "CNN This Morning."

"Say that again," Cornish interrupted, and Dent repeated his assertion. "So even as we're about tohave a vote, you're saying thatdoesn't even have the fullsupport?"

"Well, okay, let's assume fora second that the [health savings accounts] beingdiscussed become law," Dent said. "It wouldtake a while to stand them up, and so in the meantime –"

"You're still going to die," interjected Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, paraphrasing an infamous quote on Medicaid by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA).

"In the meantime,you're still going to probablyhave to extend the current law," Dent continued. "I don't know if it's going tobe for one year or two years,and you have Republicans in the House, Brian Fitzpatrick, Jen Kiggans and others, who havebills to extend the subsidies.That's the bottom line. TheACA, you know, it hasexpanded coverage, but it hasnot bent the cost curve down."

Cornish then turned to NOTUS correspondent Jasmine Wright and asked what was the point of the proposed health savings accounts if those funds couldn't be used to pay premiums.

"If youjust, like, take a step back,there are five Republican planspercolating in the Senate rightnow," Wright said. "None of them, to yourpoint, have any consensus. The Senate, the Cassidy-Crapo billis going to be voted on on Thursday. It's widelyacknowledged when you talk tofolks on the Hill. We werereporting it on our NORUSnewsletter this morning thatthat won't pass, Democrats havealready said no. It's unclearwhether or not Republicans evensupport that bill."

"There arebills going from one-yearextensions to three-yearextensions of those subsidies, and so I just think that thatthere is a fundamentally no real ideaidea from Republicans about whatthey want to do going forward on health care, and I thinkthat that extends to the White House," Wright added, "because you're notseeing the White House weigh inin a real way that we saw themperhaps do it two weeks ago whenthey let that trial balloon goof what they were going to do,which is extend those subsidies, and so I think that you're goingto see a real kind of flurry ofaction over these next two days.But what comes out of it is ahuge question."

Cornish could hardly believe what she heard.

"That's crazy for you to tellme," Cornish said. "There are five differentbills. The one that is closestyou're throwing water on. Thisis not good."

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