GOP senator compares healthcare deliberations to '2 porcupines making love'

Lawmakers like to make comparisons for different aspects of the legislative process, but Sen. Pat Roberts broke out a new one for the Senate Republican deliberations over their healthcare bill.

Moderates and conservatives are stuck at an impasse on the bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, and are attempting to find a compromise. When asked if the two sides could come together on a bill, Roberts, a Republican from Kansas, used a rather prickly wildlife analogy.

"Even porcupines make love," the Kansas Senator said.

Later, Roberts expanded on his comments.

"Once in Glacier National Park I saw two porcupines making love," Roberts told reporters. "I'm assuming they produced smaller porcupines. They produced something. It has to be done carefully. That's what we're doing now."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is working with the two disparate sides of the conference to try to come to an agreement on the bill. Increased funding to fight the opioid crisis, preserving some of Obamacare's taxes, and changes to Medicaid funding cuts are all being discussed in the attempts to bridge the divide.

It's unclear if porcupines are involved.