House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Wednesday indicated that a new proposed amendment to the House bill to repeal and replace Obamacare has brought more Republicans on board with the plan.
When asked if the new amendment offered by moderate Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) and backed by the House Freedom Caucus will garner enough support to pass the bill, Ryan did not give a direct response. But he suggested that the amendment has prompted additional Republicans to support the legislation.
“It helps us get to consensus,” he said.
The amendment would allow states to opt out of certain Obamacare mandates if they set up high-risk pools instead. Ryan touted the amendment as a way to lower premiums and give states more choice while still protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions.
MacArthur has been the only moderate engaged in negotiations with the House Freedom Caucus over changes to the bill. Many of the changes made to obtain Freedom Caucus support will likely alienate moderate members even more from a bill they largely opposed in the first place. It remains to be seen whether the pressure from the White House and other members will be enough to overcome moderates’ objections.
The White House is eager to get the bill through the House this week in advance of the 100-day mark of the Trump administration.
Concensus? Maybe for you Congressweasels, Eddie, but not for the Yertle in the Senate.
Or more importantly, the rational folks in America.
Good to see the house f’ing with the senate again.
You already got to the “you’re fucking nuts” consensus with the original AHCA. Only gluttons demand more winning to add to their collection of so much winning.
So the “things” that states will be allowed to 1) opt out of will be the inability of insurance companies to exclude people based on pre-existing conditions and instead pushing them into these so-called risk pools, and 2) eliminate the basic benefit requirements.
Yeah, that should work out well for the congress critters who support this amendment to the ACA.
One man’s “consensus” is another man’s garbage. For example, there is real consensus per polls to see Trump’s tax returns before okaying tax reform that could prove a windfall for Trump. Yet I do not see you Repub guys in any rush to subpoena these.
(Edit) There is no way to around it. The Repubs favor only access to health care which is a way of favoring keeping the poor and those who really need it from getting it.