Senate leadership scrambles to lock down healthcare votes

Senate leaders are meeting with healthcare holdouts in an effort to reach a deal on partially repealing and replacing Obamacare by the end of the week, but some senators are skeptical they will leave for the July 4 recess with an agreement in hand.

Senate leaders scrapped a planned vote this week on their healthcare bill because it didn't have enough votes. Several senators said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wanted to reach a deal on healthcare by the end of the week and have the Senate vote after returning from the week-long recess on July 10.

But major divides among conservatives and centrists over funding for Medicaid, repealing Obamacare's insurer mandates and money to fight opioid abuse are blocking any agreement.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a centrist who opposes the bill, said a deal this week is "going to be very difficult."

However, she said meetings such as the luncheon "where people have a chance to advance their ideas and have a full debate on them are valuable in trying to reach an agreement."