Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has previously warned GOP lawmakers that if the Republican-only repeal effort failed, he would be forced to work with Democrats. | Getty McConnell: If we can't repeal Obamacare, we'll fix it

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that if the chamber's fledgling Republican Obamacare repeal effort falls short, Congress will have to pass a more limited bill to shore up health insurance markets.

"If my side is unable to agree on an adequate replacement, then some kind of action with regard to the private health insurance market must occur," McConnell said at a Rotary Club luncheon in Glasgow, Ky., the Associated Press reported. "No action is not an alternative. ... We've got the insurance markets imploding all over the country, including in this state."


A bill to strengthen the insurance markets would presumably need Democratic support to get 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. McConnell in the past has warned fractious GOP lawmakers that if the Republican-only repeal effort failed, he would be forced to work with top Democrat Chuck Schumer on legislation that conservatives would likely oppose much more than the GOP repeal bill. He repeated that after a White House meeting with the president last week.

The remarks could be aimed at Senate conservatives who argue the bill doesn't repeal enough of the health care law and contend that Republican leaders are turning their back on their eight-year-old campaign pledge to do away with the Affordable Care Act. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have proposed an amendment to allow insurance companies that sell Obamacare plans to also sell non-Obamacare plans, an idea that health care experts say would tank the markets.

Thursday's comments came after McConnell canceled a planned vote before the July Fourth recess on a repeal bill after it became clear it wouldn’t get support from 50 of the 52 Senate Republicans. McConnell and GOP leaders are redrafting their legislation with hopes of passing it before the August recess.

POLITICO Pulse newsletter Get the latest on the health care fight, every weekday morning — in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Several Republicans have come out against the Senate plan, including the conservatives. Moderate Republicans oppose it, too, arguing it would harm people with existing coverage or with pre-existing conditions.

Indeed, McConnell's remarks Thursday are a far cry from his own rhetoric. In his contentious 2014 reelection campaign, McConnell repeatedly promised that he and Republicans would repeal Obamacare "root and branch."

After McConnell raised the prospect of working on the insurance markets, his Democratic counterpart said he's ready to start talking.

“It’s encouraging that Sen. McConnell today acknowledged that the issues with the exchanges are fixable, and opened the door to bipartisan solutions to improve our health care system," Schumer said in a statement. "As we’ve said time and time again, Democrats are eager to work with Republicans to stabilize the markets and improve the law. At the top of the list should be ensuring cost-sharing payments are permanent, which will protect health care for millions.”