I don’t share the skepticism of others about Heller, very specifically.
This should come as no surprise. There is literally nothing in it for Heller to vote yes, unless he wants a big check and an ambassadorship.
If that is what you want, however, you don’t say the “ACA needs fixing” and say that you favor the Medicaid Expansion.
There is a point where, just because McConnell tells Heller to stick a hot poker in his own mouth, he’s not necessarily going to do it.
I don’t care what he believes in his heart of hearts. If you assume he wants to be reelected (he’s a career politician with aspirations to run for governor), and he isn’t buying McConnell’s offers of buckets of money for his campaign, then you have to entertain the notion that he is playing this smart by taking a strong position and early on.
For what it’s worth, he has already had two town meetings, and his constituents were screaming long before the Senate monstrosity. Senators seem to to have realized how significant the divide between non-Expansion and Expansion States would be.
Let’s also remember that if this ever became law, it’s headed straight to federal court.