Hershey, Pa. — Republicans met privately on Thursday to discuss how they’ll respond if the Supreme Court strips health insurance subsidies from millions of Americans in a case about the validity of Obamacare premium tax credits in three-dozen states.
The discussion of the case King v. Burwell — set to be decided by the end of June — loomed large in a strategy meeting on health care held at a resort hotel here in the afternoon. Republicans didn’t come away with a plan.
“The discussion centered on the best strategy in context of the upcoming King v. Burwell Supreme Court case … and moving quickly to show the country Republicans have a patient-centered response to King v. Burwell,” an aide in the room, who wasn’t authorized to speak on the record, said after the meeting.
The discussion was led by House Ways & Means Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) and House Energy & Commerce Chair Fred Upton (R-MI), the aide said.
“We’re obviously doing contingency planning for King v. Burwell,” Ryan told reporters after the meeting. “It would be wrong not to. … That’s something that is an ongoing conversation and we’re doing all of our diligence on that.”
