Trump tries to close health care deal
President warns House Republicans they could lose their seats in next year’s midterm elections
WASHINGTON — With time for talk running out, President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned wavering House Republicans that their jobs were on the line in next year’s elections if they failed to back a GOP bill that would upend former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
The countdown quickened toward an expected vote Thursday on legislation undoing much of the law that has provided coverage to some 20 million Americans. Mr. Trump huddled behind closed doors with rank-and-file Republicans just hours after GOP leaders unveiled changes intended to pick up votes by doling out concessions to centrists and hard-liners alike.
“If we fail to get it done, fail to [meet] the promises made by all of us, including the president, then it could have a very detrimental effect to Republicans in ’18 who are running for re-election,” said Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas. “If it fails, then there will be a lot of people looking for work in 2018.”
Mr. Trump’s message to Republicans: “If you don’t pass the bill there could be political costs,” said Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C.
Vice President Mike Pence and Republican congressional leaders also haggled with holdouts.
Some say threats of political payback were made to lawmakers who
failed to get behind a measure that has become an early test of Mr. Trump’s negotiating power.
Even with the revisions and after a day of cajoling votes, White House and congressional officials conceded Tuesday that they still lacked the votes to pass the bill. A senior administration official said the White House is trying to persuade about 20 to 25 House Republicans who are either opposed or undecided. House leaders and Mr. Trump can only afford to lose 21. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
At a Republican Congressional Committee fundraiser Tuesday night, Mr. Trump said the American people had handed Republicans the House, Senate and White House with an expectation they would deliver.
The GOP bill would scale back the role of government in the private health insurance market, and limit future federal financing for Medicaid. It would repeal tax increases on the wealthy that Democrats used to pay for Mr. Obama’s coverage expansion. Fines enforcing the Obama-era requirement that virtually all Americans have coverage would be eliminated.
The bill would provide tax credits based chiefly on age to help people pay premiums. But insurers could charge older consumers five times the premiums they charge younger people instead of Mr. Obama’s 3-1 limit.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that 24 million fewer people will have health insurance in 2026 under the GOP bill. The Republican bill is expected to result in more people being uninsured than if Obamacare were simply repealed.
Mr. Trump warned House Republicans they’d seal their political doom if they waver, with the party potentially losing control of the House. Still, several conservatives were steadfast in their opposition even after the session with Mr. Trump.
Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., said Mr. Trump told Republicans he would campaign for them if they backed the bill. Mr. Trump didn’t indicate what he would do to those who vote against the bill, but during the caucus, he singled out Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., an outspoken critic and the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, which has led the rightwing opposition to the bill.
Mr. Collins said Mr. Trump asked Mr. Meadows to stand up, called him a great guy and said he is counting on Mr. Meadows to get this over the line. “There was no threat whatsoever,” Mr. Collins said.
Another person at the event said Mr. Trump told Mr. Meadows, “I’m gonna come after you so hard, but I know I won’t have to, because I know you’ll vote yes.” Mr. Trump delivered that line with a smile, but also with a touch of seriousness, said the person, who spoke anonymously.
As for Mr. Meadows, he was still a “no” vote at the end of the day.
Republicans had announced a set of changes to their proposed health-care overhaul Monday night, and while the revisions were seen as making symbolic nods to hard-line GOP conservatives, the most significant changes were social spending boosts aimed at wooing the party’s most moderate members.
If the bill advances, prospects are uncertain in the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority. Six GOP senators have expressed deep misgivings.
Democrats remain solidly opposed to the GOP repeal effort.