Republicans Say Repeal of Obamacare is Back on the Agenda

[SirLinksALot]

SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES

URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/us/politics/health-care-obamacare-freedom-caucus.html?ribbon-ad-idx=11&rref=politics&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Politics&action=swipe&region=FixedRight&pgtype=article

by Robert Pear and Jeremy Peters


 Under extreme pressure from conservative activists, House Republican leaders and the White House have restarted negotiations on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

But efforts to revive the legislation in the House could take weeks, lawmakers conceded, as Congress moves forward with a full plate of other time-consuming issues. And the renewed push did not meet with much enthusiasm from Senate Republicans, who said they had other priorities at the moment.

Nonetheless, Speaker Paul D. Ryan vowed to renew efforts to repeal the law, despite last’s week crushing setback when House Republicans tossed aside a repeal bill because they lacked the votes to pass it.

Just days after President Trump said he was moving on to other issues, senior administration officials said they still hoped to score the kind of big legislative victory that has so far eluded the White House. Vice President Mike Pence was dispatched to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for lunchtime talks.

"We’re not going to retrench into our corners or put up dividing lines,” Mr. Ryan said after a meeting of House Republicans was dominated by talk of how to restart health negotiations. “There’s too much at stake to get bogged down in all that,” he added.

Democrats had celebrated what they thought was the demise of the repeal bill on Friday. But the House Republican whip, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, said on Tuesday, “Their celebration is premature.”

“I think we’re closer today to repealing Obamacare than we’ve ever been before, and surely even closer than we were Friday,” Mr. Scalise said.

It is not clear what political dynamics might have changed since Friday, when a coalition of hard-line conservatives and more moderate Republicans torpedoed legislation to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement.

“I don’t know what has changed,’’ said Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts. “The bill went down because it was too bad for Republican moderates and not bad enough for their conservatives. I don’t know how they reconcile the divides within their own conference, never mind find any Democratic votes.”

(EXCERPT) CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE REST....

[Optiguy]

It is not clear what political dynamics might have changed since Friday, when a coalition of hard-line conservatives and more moderate Republicans torpedoed legislation to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement.




I think the author needs to rethink the definition of repeal.

[Smokin Joe]

It is not clear what political dynamics might have changed since Friday, when a coalition of hard-line conservatives and more moderate Republicans torpedoed legislation to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement.




I think the author needs to rethink the definition of repeal.

What changed is people found out that that legislation was a little tinkering with, but nothing close to the repeal of the ACA.

That writer needs to invest in a Funk & Wagnall's.

[rodamala]

"Repeal".

Loose quotes.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

It is not clear what political dynamics might have changed since Friday, when a coalition of hard-line conservatives and more moderate Republicans torpedoed legislation to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement.

I do a lot of negotiations, and sometimes, people don't compromise until they are absolutely sure they have to.  So sometimes, walking away from the table is the only way to get people off their positions.

I've had to negotiate with some Arabic attorneys in town, and those guys are tough negotiators.  But -- I learned the trick.  It's to say "well, it's pretty clear we're not going to reach a deal and I don't want to waste any more of my client's time and money."  I then get up with my client, walk out of the negotiation, and start back to my office.  I've never yet actually made it out of the building before they come running after me to do the deal.

I think that both the moderates and FC may be a bit more willing to compromise once leadership washed their hands of it.  Sitting in their offices thinking "if there's no deal at al, we're all screwed" has a way of inducing flexibility.

[truth_seeker]

Republican lawmakers probably got earfuls from their constituents, asking if this was the best they could do after years and years of promising "repeal and replace," if given the chance.

If Ryan and McConnell can't get this done then get some people that can.

And dispense with the fake deadlines, and the claims of being unable to do two things at one time.

[Sanguine]

I do a lot of negotiations, and sometimes, people don't compromise until they are absolutely sure they have to.  So sometimes, walking away from the table is the only way to get people off their positions.

I've had to negotiate with some Arabic attorneys in town, and those guys are tough negotiators.  But -- I learned the trick.  It's to say "well, it's pretty clear we're not going to reach a deal and I don't want to waste any more of my client's time and money."  I then get up with my client, walk out of the negotiation, and start back to my office.  I've never yet actually made it out of the building before they come running after me to do the deal.

I think that both the moderates and FC may be a bit more willing to compromise once leadership washed their hands of it.  Sitting in their offices thinking "if there's no deal at al, we're all screwed" has a way of inducing flexibility.

....or, they could just introduce a decent bill.   

[XenaLee]

I do a lot of negotiations, and sometimes, people don't compromise until they are absolutely sure they have to.  So sometimes, walking away from the table is the only way to get people off their positions.

I've had to negotiate with some Arabic attorneys in town, and those guys are tough negotiators.  But -- I learned the trick.  It's to say "well, it's pretty clear we're not going to reach a deal and I don't want to waste any more of my client's time and money."  I then get up with my client, walk out of the negotiation, and start back to my office.  I've never yet actually made it out of the building before they come running after me to do the deal.

I think that both the moderates and FC may be a bit more willing to compromise once leadership washed their hands of it.  Sitting in their offices thinking "if there's no deal at al, we're all screwed" has a way of inducing flexibility.

So.... you are advocating that they "bluff" their way into getting something passed.  What if they bluff their way into another fubar?  What then?