Congress deals 2 blows to 'Obamacare'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress dealt a pair of blows to the Obama health care law Wednesday, including a retreat by two senators who were fighting for a provision this year that would help contain premium costs.

GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Tennessee's Lamar Alexander ran into opposition from both parties on their measure to restore federal payments to insurers which helps curb premium costs. They said they'd pursue the effort early next year. There is no guarantee it would be approved.

For Collins, the setback was particularly embarrassing. At one point she'd made her vote for the GOP's $1.5 trillion tax bill contingent, on part, on a commitment from party leaders to push the federal subsidies for insurers into law this year.