House health care battle biggest test yet of GOP leaders
Stakes are high for Trump, Ryan, and McConnell
WASHINGTON The House battle on overhauling health care represents the first major legislative test since Americans put Republicans in charge of Washington last November.
President Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have all thrown their weight behind the American Health Care Act.
The bill would replace swaths of the Affordable Care Act, a signature legacy achievement of President Obama. It would eliminate requirements that individuals maintain health insurance at all times and that larger companies provide it to employees, while keeping provisions allowing children to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26 and prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
It would also reduce tax credits for individuals buying private insurance, as well as the amount of money provided to states for Medicaid. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicted last week that it would increase the number of uninsured Americans by as many as 24 million over the next 10 years.
Republicans have been divided: Conservatives say they want full Obamacare repeal, and many moderates say this is the best they’re going to get. Democrats are likely to unanimously oppose it. The House vote on the bill could presage how future legislative battles will play out and has ramifications far beyond health care. PRESIDENT TRUMP For Trump, the health care vote represents a key early test of his
WASHINGTON A day before the vote to repeal and replace Obamacare, conservatives said they had enough “no” votes to kill it and called on House leadership to postpone floor action and go back to the drawing board.
“It’s not going to pass as it’s standing right now,” Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, said Wednesday.
“As they realize they don’t have the votes, I think it will be very likely” that Speaker Paul Ryan, RWis., will push back Thursday’s scheduled vote, Labrador said.
“We believe that the best approach is to actually start over and do something that actually lowers premiums,” Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said Wednesday after the conservative caucus he leads met to discuss where it stands on the legislation.
Meadows spokesman Ben Williamson told USA TODAY the House Freedom Caucus took a “whip count” Wednesday and determined at least 25 people would vote against the bill. That’s more votes than Republicans can lose if they want to move the legislation through the House.
Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs said he’s leaning so far “no” on the bill that he’s “reclining.”
The Freedom Caucus has been highly critical of the Republican legislation that would repeal and replace Obamacare because members say it doesn’t go far enough. They have a variety of things they want to add to the bill, including a repeal of insurance regulations. Ryan and other Republican leaders said the bill has to remain narrow to squeeze though the rules of the Senate with no Democratic votes.
Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, attended the caucus meeting. “I think they have the votes,” Paul said.
“The stage that we’ve had so far is the pre-negotiation. ... Now the real negotiation will begin,” he said.
Conservatives are not the only ones balking at the repeal bill. Moderate Republicans have said they will vote against it. “Simply put, this bill does not meet the standards of what was promised; it is not as good as or better than what we currently have,” Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., said.
Paul, Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, have criticized the legislation and called for changes for them to be able to vote for it in the Senate. Republicans have a narrow majority in the Senate, 52-48, and they can lose just two votes for legislation to pass there.
Members of the Freedom Caucus met with Vice President Pence and top White House aides Wednesday morning before their own meeting on Capitol Hill as part of the administration’s efforts to get the party united.
Ryan has given no signals that he intends to move the vote.
“We believe that the best approach is to actually start over and do something that actually lowers premiums.” Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C.