The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
House budget panel narrowly endorses GOP health care bill
More challenges lie ahead in fight to repeal Obamacare.
WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Thursday powered through another step toward repealing the health care law as the Budget Committee approved the House’s embattled repeal bill over the opposition of three conservative Republicans on the panel.
By a vote of 19-17, the committee endorsed the legislation and sent it to the full House, where Republican leaders hope to bring it up later this month. But the defection of three Republicans — Reps. Dave Brat of Virginia, Gary Palmer of Alabama and Mark Sanford of South Carolina — showed the difficult road ahead.
“This legislation is a conservative vision for free-market, patient-centered health care,” said Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., chairwoman of the Budget Committee. “It dismantles Obamacare’s mandates and taxes. It puts health care decisions back in the hands of patients and doctors.”
House Republican leaders acknowledged that they did not yet have the votes to ensure that the bill would be passed. To appease House conservatives, the White House is looking at accelerating cuts to Medicaid, which would not begin until 2020 in the current bill, according to a person briefed on the discussions. President Donald Trump, the person added, could take to the road himself to pressure potentially reticent members in states he won by large margins.
Last week, House Speaker Paul Ryan appeared to reject major changes sought by conservatives, saying, “It really comes down to a binary choice” between the repeal bill and nothing.
But on Wednesday, after a meeting of the House Republican Conference where Vice President Mike Pence tried to rally support for the legislation, Ryan opened the door to changes, saying, “We can make some necessary improvements and refinements to the bill.”
Ryan promised to incorporate suggestions from lawmakers and the Trump administration.
“Conversations are occurring between the White House, the House, and the Senate and our members,” he said.
With no hope of winning support from Democrats, Black appealed to members of her party.
“To my Republican colleagues who have doubts,” Black said, “I encourage you: Don’t cut off discussion. Stay in this effort and help us enhance this proposal by advancing it out of committee and pushing for further conservative reforms. Members who desire to see this bill improved have every right to make their voices heard.”
But Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky, the senior Democrat on the Budget Committee, said: “This is not a health care bill. It’s an ideological document, a fantasy about freedom and choice.”