The powerful conservative lobbying group Club for Growth on Tuesday attacked a Republican congressman who had earlier announced his opposition to Republicans’ amended bill to replace Obamacare, marking an aggressive effort to corral support behind the bill.
An amendment to the American Health Care Act from Reps. Mark Meadows (R-NC) and Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) would allow states to opt out of Obamacare’s price controls for sicker people if they establish high-risk pools in their place. It would also allow states to shed Obamacare’s Essential Health Benefits if they identify some public interest benefit of doing so.
Rep. Billy Long (R-MO), surprising many of his colleagues, announced Monday that he could not support the amended effort.
“I have always stated that one of the few good things about ObamaCare is that people with pre-existing conditions would be covered,” he said in a statement, according to The Hill. “The MacArthur amendment strips away any guarantee that pre-existing conditions would be covered and affordable.”
Before the amendment was added, Club for Growth was one in a large group of conservative interests opposing Republicans’ repeal effort.
But the group threw its weight behind the amended effort, and on Tuesday turned its attention to Long. In a statement posted online by CNN’s Lauren Fox, it attacked the congressman for retreating “when it counts.”
Club for Growth goes after Rep. Billy Long who announced yesterday his opposition to GOP health care bill. pic.twitter.com/vQLBokKlNs
— Lauren Fox (@FoxReports) May 2, 2017
Several Republicans, including many previously bullish about repealing Obamacare like Long and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), have announced their opposition to the renewed effort.
