Mischief in the Capitol as GOP rebels stir up trouble

WASHINGTON >> The Capitol is suddenly awash with troublemakers and rebels — and that’s just the Republicans.

Whatever GOP unity was produced by Donald Trump’s victory in November has all but disappeared, and Republican leaders are confronting open rebellion in their ranks as they try to finalize health care legislation. Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress this week was well-received, but did little to repair divisions.

In the Senate, a trio of conservatives that’s been a thorn in the side of leadership is back at it again. And in the House, recalcitrant conservatives are banding together and threatening to foil House Speaker Paul Ryan’s plans for swift passage of the legislation to repeal and replace former Barack Obama’s health law.

“Currently there are not enough votes to pass it in the House,” Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, head of an influential group of conservatives, declared in an interview Friday.

Meadows said leaders appeared to believe they could jam the bill through by twisting arms and getting Trump to make calls, but insisted such tactics wouldn’t work on him without substantial change to the bill. His opposition is such that his wife sent out an email urging opposition to the bill, as reported by Politico this week. “It will end up being Ryancare and the disaster will be wrapped around Republican’s necks,” Debbie Meadows wrote.

Rep. Meadows said Friday that his wife sent the email to a small group of friends and relatives in an effort to support him. President