Critics, backers of bill map out next moves
President: House measure will result in improved system
WASHINGTON — Democrats and health groups charted their next moves to protect the Affordable Care Act and turn up the pressure on Republicans, who are defending the health care overhaul legislation they barely managed to heave across the finish line in the House on Thursday.
President Donald Trump, who had hosted House members at the White House to congratulate themselves on passing the embattled bill, insisted Friday that it will ultimately improve the health care system, whose problems Republicans have blamed on Obamacare for years.
“Big win in the House — very exciting!” Trump tweeted Friday. “But when everything comes together with the inclusion of Phase 2, we will have truly great health care!”
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post published Thursday night that the bill “isn’t perfect” but is still a “major improvement” to the Affordable Care Act.
“It doesn’t include every single component I wanted,” McMorris Rodgers wrote. “But it came down to the (American Health Care Act) or the continued disaster of Obamacare, which was an easy choice.”
Yet, the GOP bill, which heads to the Senate, is likely to be a big political hot potato in next year’s election, as it could disrupt health insurance for millions of Americans by dismantling big parts of the Affordable Care Act.
The optics are so bad for Republicans that political prognosticator The Cook Political Report shifted ratings for 20 GOP lawmakers to indicate tighter races in the 2018 midterms than previously imagined.Cook switched House races from “lean Republican” to “tossup” for Reps. Mike Coffman of Colorado, Steve Knight of California and Jason Lewis of Minnesota. It also moved 11 districts from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican” and six districts from “solid Republican to likely Republican.”
Democratic political groups are poised and ready to attack moderate Republicans who supported it and could be vulnerable in 2018.
After Rep. Chris Collins told CNN that he hadn’t read the entire text of the legislation, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was quick to blast the Republican from New York, saying he “doesn’t respect or care about” his constituents.
“Instead of reading pharmaceutical stock financial statements, Collins should actually read the legislation that would take away health care from thousands of his constituents,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Evan Lukaske.
Republicans returning home to their districts faced angry protesters. Constituents gathered outside the offices of Reps. Patrick Tiberi and Rep. Fred Upton in Ohio and Michigan, both states that stand to lose the health care law’s new federal dollars for expanding their Medicaid programs.
Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and Reps. David Valadao of California, Billy Long of Missouri, David McKinley in West Virginia and Bruce Poliquin of Maine were among other members targeted by frustrated constituents.
Health associations, who were dismayed by the GOP health-care legislation, are turning their attention to Senate Republicans, who will take on the issue in the next few months.
They’re putting pressure on senators to ensure a final bill revamping President Barack Obama’s health care law doesn’t cost millions of Americans the insurance coverage they gained.
Some of the leading groups have asked the Senate to ditch the Housepassed legislation and work on bipartisan fixes to the health care law instead.
“We urge the Senate to promptly put aside the AHCA, and instead work with our organizations to achieve real bipartisan solutions to improve affordability, access, and coverage for all,” said a statement by six groups including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians.
Andrew Gurman, president of the American Medical Association, said the GOP bill would result in millions losing coverage but said “action is needed … to improve the current health care insurance system.”
Health insurers are pleased the GOP health care bill would repeal the law’s taxes, but dislike other parts, such as how it would reduce the insurance subsidies available to people without employer-sponsored coverage.
“We stand ready to work with members of the Senate and all policymakers, offering our recommendations for how this bill can be improved to ensure the private market delivers affordable coverage for all Americans,” America’s Health Insurance Plans President Marilyn Tavenner said in a statement.