" "i have never said we should have an arbitrary deadline," portman said. portman declined to directly criticize mcconnell by name, but he made clear he prefers senate hearings on any proposed health-care bill. mcconnell said tuesday he wants to make the bill public by thursday and push for a final floor vote next week. … ("rob portman criticizes health care deadline: 'we need to get it right'," jack torry. columbus dispatch . june 20, 2017) sen. rob portman voices 'real concerns' with bill's medicaid cuts one reason senate republicans will not find it easy to pass their health-care bill is the legislation has to please both conservatives like sen. ted cruz (r-tex.) and moderates like sen. rob portman (r-ohio.). portman is the leader of a group of republican senators from states that expanded medicaid under obamacare. he said thursday he has "real concerns" with how the new gop proposal treats medicaid - especially provisions of the bill that "impact drug treatment at a time when ohio is facing an opioid epidemic.