Susan Collins: Senate to Start Health Care 'From Scratch'

Republican moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is continuing to express concerns about the health care bill passed by the House and says she expects the Senate to start "from scratch." Collins says the House bill is hard to assess because it was passed without a fresh Congressional Budget Office analysis of coverage and cost. Asked if she could support the House version, Collins says: "The House bill is not going to come before us." She says senators will "come up with a whole new fresh approach. We're going to draft our bill, and I'm convinced we will take the time to do it right." Collins cited concerns about potential higher costs to older Americans and those with pre-existing medical conditions. She spoke on ABC's This Week. Other highlights on the Sunday dial, per the AP:

• Dismissing Democrats' contention that worried voters will punish the GOP in 2018, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus tells Fox News Sunday that he thinks "the Republican Party will be rewarded" when the health care overhaul becomes law, citing lower premiums, better service and more options.
• House Speaker Paul Ryan says he expects the Senate will improve the House bill, calling the vote one part of a "multistage process." "We think we need to do even more support for people who are older," he said. "The Senate will complete the job."
• Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price says cutting nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid would give states freedom to tailor the program to fit their needs. "There are no cuts to the Medicaid program," he said, adding that resources were being apportioned "in a way that allows states greater flexibility."

(More Sunday morning talk shows stories.)