The White House officials have privately expressed reservations about Senate Republicans’ latest effort to repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act, despite President Trump’s public enthusiasm for the measure.
The White House officials have privately expressed reservations about Senate Republicans’ latest effort to repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act, despite President Trump’s public enthusiasm for the measure.
Politico reported Friday that people in the White House worry whether the effort led by Sens. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamTop Louisiana health official rips Cassidy over ObamaCare repeal bill Senate Dems hold floor talk-a-thon against latest ObamaCare repeal bill Overnight Defense: Senate passes 0B defense bill | 3,000 US troops heading to Afghanistan | Two more Navy officials fired over ship collisions MORE (R-S. C.) and Bill Cassidy William (Bill) Morgan CassidyTop Louisiana health official rips Cassidy over ObamaCare repeal bill Senate Dems hold floor talk-a-thon against latest ObamaCare repeal bill Finance to hold hearing on ObamaCare repeal bill MORE (R-La.) can pass the Senate or the House.
What’s more, one official told Politico that “we really aren’t sure what the impact” of the measure would be.
In public, Trump has sought to rally support for the Graham-Cassidy proposal, casting it is a new opportunity for Republicans to reform health care after their last attempt failed in the Senate in July.
But in private, the president has asked aides what the White House could do that would be seen as fulfilling the promise to “repeal and replace” ObamaCare.
According to Politico, several officials said the president was eager to sign anything resembling health care reform into law.
The proposal ultimately seeks to give more power to the states by ending federal ObamaCare subsidies and the Medicaid expansion, and instead converting those pots of money into block grants for the states.
But the exact impacts of the bill remain unclear. The Congressional Budget Office is working on a preliminary assessment of the measure that is expected out early next week. But that assessment will not include an estimate of the bill’s effects on premium costs and the number of people with health coverage.
So far, the only Senate Republican to have come out against the Graham-Cassidy bill is Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulSenate Dems hold floor talk-a-thon against latest ObamaCare repeal bill Overnight Defense: Senate passes 0B defense bill | 3,000 US troops heading to Afghanistan | Two more Navy officials fired over ship collisions Lawmakers grapple with warrantless wiretapping program MORE (Kent.). But several GOP senators remain undecided, and all eyes are on what Sens. Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiSenate Dems hold floor talk-a-thon against latest ObamaCare repeal bill Collins skeptical of new ObamaCare repeal effort How Senate relationships could decide ObamaCare repeal MORE (Alaska), Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsSenate Dems hold floor talk-a-thon against latest ObamaCare repeal bill Ryan: Graham-Cassidy ‘best, last chance’ to repeal ObamaCare Collins skeptical of new ObamaCare repeal effort MORE (Maine) and John McCainJohn Sidney McCainSenate’s defense authorization would set cyber doctrine Senate Dems hold floor talk-a-thon against latest ObamaCare repeal bill Overnight Defense: Senate passes 0B defense bill | 3,000 US troops heading to Afghanistan | Two more Navy officials fired over ship collisions MORE (Ariz.) will do.
Those three lawmakers opposed the Senate’s last attempt to repeal the ACA, and have not committed to supporting the latest effort.
