After Republican leaders in the House unveiled changes to the bill to repeal and replace Obamacare on Monday night, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) indicated that at least some of the members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus were on board with the legislation.
Ryan’s comment came as members of the Freedom Caucus said they believe they still have enough votes to block leadership’s bill. However, the caucus did not take an official position on the bill, leaving wiggle room for its members to vote for the legislation.
“I’ve spoken with a lot of Freedom Caucus members who are voting for it,” Ryan told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Monday night.
Ryan noted that some members of the Freedom Caucus have already voted for the bill in committee, and said that additions to the bill, like the ability for governors to impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients, had wooed additional conservative members.
The speaker said that the House has made “tremendous progress” with the legislation, and said that he hopes the Senate will make additional changes.
“If senators can make improvements to this bill, without jeopardizing what we call the Byrd Rule, meaning a filibuster, that’s great. We want them to improve this bill if they can,” Ryan told Hannity.
Please proceed asshole
Your epitaph will read:
Town Halls? what town halls?
democratic plants indeed
And the WORSE the bill gets due to the teabaggers venality, the more likely it dies OR eventually dies when it gets to the Senate. Mission not accomplished.
Republicans are especially well suited to inflicting pain and misery on the populace. Why in the hell they’re having such difficulties enacting a fresh round of hair shirt treatments is puzzling.
It’s the memory of those very town halls that’s giving some House members second thoughts. There’s no way we can retake the Senate but some liberals seem to think that Dems can win some House seats in ‘18 along with governors’ mansions in certain states.
The touted unanimity Democrats claim in the Senate in opposition to the AHCA is likely shakier than presented. Joe Manchin for one is registered in the wrong party for all intents and purposes. Claire McCaskill and Heidi Heitkamp may be looking more at their next election than at national policy battles. Don’t be surprised if a handful of Dem defections push this through in the Senate.