President Trump is pressuring conservative Congressmen who are opposed to his health care bill. The “repeal and replace” response to Obamacare, which retains many of the elements of that program, is facing a vote on Thursday.
The president says that representatives who vote “no” may not get re-elected. He said that he would campaign for those who vote “yes.”
This time President Trump is on the same side as Republican leaders such as Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, who are usually branded as the “establishment” by Trump supporters. Still wanting a government role in health care, the GOP leadership is also leaning on bill opponents, implying that they might face primary opposition if they do not get on board. But they have also added “sweeteners” to win more votes.
While conservative Republicans, especially members of the “freedom caucus,” oppose the government’s continued involvement in citizen’s health care decisions, liberal Democrats object to any changes at all to Obamacare.
The vote will be close. Some 20-25 House Republicans either oppose the bill or are undecided. Trump can only afford to lose 21.
UPDATE: Conservative organizations, some of which distribute campaign money, are threatening supporters of the bill, saying that a “yes” vote will brand lawmakers to be insufficiently conservative to earn their support. The health care bill is shaping up to be the first major policy conflict between Trump and conservatives.
From Trump to GOP: Pass Health Care Bill or Seal Your Fate, Associated Press:
Time for talk running out, President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned wavering House Republicans that their jobs were on the line in next year’s elections if they failed to back a GOP bill that would upend Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
The countdown quickened toward an expected vote Thursday on legislation undoing much of the law that has provided coverage to some 20 million Americans. Trump huddled behind closed doors with rank-and-file Republicans just hours after GOP leaders unveiled changes intended to pick up votes by doling out concessions to centrists and hardliners alike. . . .
Even with the revisions, the outlook for House passage remains dicey. After a day of cajoling votes, a senior administration official said the White House is trying to persuade about 20 to 25 House Republicans who are either opposed or undecided. House leaders and Trump can only afford to lose 21. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The GOP bill would scale back the role of government in the private health insurance market, and limit future federal financing for Medicaid. It would repeal tax increases on the wealthy that Democrats used to pay for Obama’s coverage expansion. Fines enforcing the Obama-era requirement that virtually all Americans have coverage would be eliminated. . . .
The House GOP bill would end Obama-era subsidies based on peoples’ incomes and the cost of insurance. A Medicaid expansion to 11 million more low-income people would disappear.
Instead, the bill would provide tax credits based chiefly on age to help people pay premiums. But insurers could charge older consumers five times the premiums they charge younger people instead of Obama’s 3-1 limit.
[Keep reading. . .]
Illustration from the Office of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Speaker.Gov/HealthCare
President Trump is pressuring conservative Congressmen who are opposed to his health care bill. The “repeal and replace” response to Obamacare, which retains many of the elements of that program, is facing a vote on Thursday.
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