GOP releases bills to repeal and replace ObamaCare

[Chosen Daughter]

So in short, once on welfare always on welfare...

Lets be very clear.  It has been Trump all along that said everyone is going to have healthcare.

“We’re going to have insurance for everybody,” Trump said. “There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can’t pay for it, you don’t get it. That’s not going to happen with us.” People covered under the law “can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.”

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2017/01/16/trump-my-healthcare-plan-is-going-to-cover-everybody-n2272035



Scott Pelley: Universal health care?

Donald Trump: I am going to take care of everybody. I don’t care if it costs me votes or not. Everybody’s going to be taken care of much better than they’re taken care of now.

Scott Pelley: The uninsured person is going to be taken care of how?

Donald Trump: They’re going to be taken care of. I would make a deal with existing hospitals to take care of people. And, you know what, if this is probably–

Scott Pelley: Make a deal? Who pays for it?

Donald Trump: –the government’s gonna pay for it.

http://www.redstate.com/absentee/2017/01/16/health-insurance-everybody-government-will-pay-says-republican-president-elect-donald-trump-again/

[DB]

Lets be very clear.  It has been Trump all along that said everyone is going to have healthcare.

“We’re going to have insurance for everybody,” Trump said. “There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can’t pay for it, you don’t get it. That’s not going to happen with us.” People covered under the law “can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.”

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2017/01/16/trump-my-healthcare-plan-is-going-to-cover-everybody-n2272035



Scott Pelley: Universal health care?

Donald Trump: I am going to take care of everybody. I don’t care if it costs me votes or not. Everybody’s going to be taken care of much better than they’re taken care of now.

Scott Pelley: The uninsured person is going to be taken care of how?

Donald Trump: They’re going to be taken care of. I would make a deal with existing hospitals to take care of people. And, you know what, if this is probably–

Scott Pelley: Make a deal? Who pays for it?

Donald Trump: –the government’s gonna pay for it.

http://www.redstate.com/absentee/2017/01/16/health-insurance-everybody-government-will-pay-says-republican-president-elect-donald-trump-again/

Yep. I've posted that quote a number of times here and TOS when I was there.

[corbe]

    The Freedom Caucus, which I thought had been neutered, has spoken, Art of the Deal.



Conservatives pan House Obamacare repeal bill

“This is Obamacare by a different form,” former Freedom Caucus chairman Jim Jordan told POLITICO.

By Rachael Bade
  | 03/06/17 09:53 PM EST
  |  Updated 03/06/17 11:13 PM EST

A handful of House conservatives on Monday evening criticized GOP leaderships’ newly released Obamacare replacement bill, foreshadowing trouble for the repeal effort even after leaders tried to assuage the far-right.

Some House Freedom Caucus members dismissed the bill as creating a new “entitlement program” by offering health care tax credits to low-income Americans. A Republican Study Committee memo sent to chiefs of staff, obtained by POLITICO, echoed those comments and blasted the bill’s continuation of the Medicaid expansion for three years.

“This is Obamacare by a different form,” former Freedom Caucus chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told POLITICO. “They’re still keeping the taxes in place and Medicaid expansion, and they’re starting a new entitlement.”

Freedom Caucus member Dave Brat (R-Va.) piled on, telling POLITICO he’d vote against it in its current form because “the bill maintains many of the federal features including a new entitlement program as well as most of the insurance regulations.”

"Now [they] are saying we're going to do repeal and replace but the bill does nothing of the sort,” he said. “[Speaker] Paul Ryan has always said the entire rationale for this bill is to bend the cost curve down, and so far I have seen no evidence that this bill will bring the cost curve down.”

His comments come just a few hours after Ryan and his top lieutenants publicly released their much-awaited Obamacare replacement plan. Two House committees will begin marking up the bill this week, and GOP leadership hopes to send the measure to the Senate in three weeks.

President Donald Trump signaled his support for the bill by tweeting a link to a Ryan statement about the proposal on Monday evening.

“House just introduced the bill to #RepealAndReplace #Obamacare,” he wrote. “Time to end this nightmare.”

House GOP leadership, meanwhile, is gearing up for a major effort to whip support for the bill. On Tuesday Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) will bring the deputy whip team to the White House in an effort to rally the troops — and begin some arm-twisting.

Leaders hoped to alleviate concerns expressed by the far-right over tax credits that will replace the current Obamacare subsides. The bill phases out the credit for individuals earning more than $75,000 and joint-filers up to $150,000.

It doesn’t appear to be enough though. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich) just minutes after the bill was released called the plan “Obamacare 2.0” on Twitter. And RSC policy staffers huddle Monday night to draft a memo detainee their concerns.

“This is a Republican welfare entitlement,” the RSC memo reads. “Writing checks to individuals to purchase insurance is, in principle, Obamacare. It does allow more choices for individuals, and is more patient-centered, but is fundamentally grounded on the idea that the federal government should fund insurance purchases.”

It is unclear if conservatives who still don’t like the bill would be willing to vote against it, potentially blocking the repeal effort from passage. While Brat said he’d vote against it, few others have taken a position yet. House Republican leaders expect some conservatives and moderates to oppose the measure on the floor. But they can only afford to lose 21 votes.

RSC chairman Mark Walker in a statement thanked leadership for their work on it and said “I applaud the movement and believe it is the right direction.”

“We are carefully reviewing this legislation looking in three main areas of shared conservative concern: protection of the unborn, elimination of Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion and ensuring the tax credits are fiscally responsible,” the North Carolina Republican said.

The RSC's steering committee will meet Tuesday to discuss next steps forward.

Freedom Caucus members, meanwhile, talked amongst themselves about the bill. While many believed the final version was more to their liking than older drafts, one source wasn’t sure if conservatives could get on board with GOP’s plan to offer advanceable, refundable tax credits. Such credits are a key pillar of the Ryan plan and one of the most controversial issues for conservatives. They worry the plan will create an entitlement and have been pushing for a tax deduction instead.

Many other Republicans — from leadership to centrists to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price — believe such credits are necessary since the nation’s poorest don’t pay taxes and therefore wouldn’t benefit from a deduction.

In addition to criticism of the tax credit proposal, the RSC memo jabbed at the House’s plan to keep the Medicaid expansion for three years before winding down in 2020. The memo says the plan “continues to contribute to the worsening of the federal and state budgets by incentivizing states to maintain expansion or to initiate new expansions and leaving the federal government picking up the majority of the bill.”

Conservatives have been calling for House GOP leaders to advance a repeal-only bill that Congress sent to President Barack Obama's desk in 2015. They worry getting into the repleacment details on the repeal bill is slowing the process.

Republican rank and file who support the plan find their demands ironic, in part because its conservatives like Sen. Rand Paul and HFC Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) who first called for repeal and replace to occur simultaneously. House GOP leadership in December had laid out a plan to pass a simple repeal bill early, then go back and replace it after. But Paul blasted the process, and conservatives in the Freedom Caucus agree that the two needed to happen at once.

A Paul's interview on the topic had caught Trump's attention, and the president eventually agreed they should be done together, forcing House GOP leadership to upend their plans. Now, however, conservatives want what they call a "clean" repeal bill, sans alternative provisions.

<..snip..>

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/obamacare-repeal-conservatives-235753

[Formerly Once-Ler]

    The Freedom Caucus, which I thought had been neutered, has spoken, Art of the Deal.

    Establishment always wins!!!

wait...

is Trump/Bannon establishment or Brat/TeaParty?...Just when you think the GOP can't twist and bend any further you remember you quit the GOP and you have more whiskey left.

It is no secret that I have not supported President Trump from the beginning and I fully admit I do not comprehend his appeal, but I do know that almost half of America voted for Trump...more than half if you believe Brietbart.com and the sitting President of the United States Donald J Trump.

So I have tried to relax and accept that I don't have the proper perspective.  I have tried to accept that President Donald J Trump is the man of our times.  The leader the people wanted to fix what is wrong in America and expand what is right.

As the father of a 13 year old boy, and 2 younger daughters I am perhaps abnormally concerned about the future of my country, but watching President Trump's performance over the last month has been much worse than I feared.  Last weekend I drowned my fears and worries in a sea of Fireball whiskey, but the effect was only temporary...for in the sobriety of the morning all of my doubt and despair returned again...

and that is when I remembered...

That I had more Fireball whiskey.

[Chosen Daughter]

    The Freedom Caucus, which I thought had been neutered, has spoken, Art of the Deal.



Conservatives pan House Obamacare repeal bill

“This is Obamacare by a different form,” former Freedom Caucus chairman Jim Jordan told POLITICO.

By Rachael Bade
  | 03/06/17 09:53 PM EST
  |  Updated 03/06/17 11:13 PM EST

A handful of House conservatives on Monday evening criticized GOP leaderships’ newly released Obamacare replacement bill, foreshadowing trouble for the repeal effort even after leaders tried to assuage the far-right.

Some House Freedom Caucus members dismissed the bill as creating a new “entitlement program” by offering health care tax credits to low-income Americans. A Republican Study Committee memo sent to chiefs of staff, obtained by POLITICO, echoed those comments and blasted the bill’s continuation of the Medicaid expansion for three years.

“This is Obamacare by a different form,” former Freedom Caucus chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told POLITICO. “They’re still keeping the taxes in place and Medicaid expansion, and they’re starting a new entitlement.”

Freedom Caucus member Dave Brat (R-Va.) piled on, telling POLITICO he’d vote against it in its current form because “the bill maintains many of the federal features including a new entitlement program as well as most of the insurance regulations.”

"Now [they] are saying we're going to do repeal and replace but the bill does nothing of the sort,” he said. “[Speaker] Paul Ryan has always said the entire rationale for this bill is to bend the cost curve down, and so far I have seen no evidence that this bill will bring the cost curve down.”

His comments come just a few hours after Ryan and his top lieutenants publicly released their much-awaited Obamacare replacement plan. Two House committees will begin marking up the bill this week, and GOP leadership hopes to send the measure to the Senate in three weeks.

President Donald Trump signaled his support for the bill by tweeting a link to a Ryan statement about the proposal on Monday evening.

“House just introduced the bill to #RepealAndReplace #Obamacare,” he wrote. “Time to end this nightmare.”

House GOP leadership, meanwhile, is gearing up for a major effort to whip support for the bill. On Tuesday Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) will bring the deputy whip team to the White House in an effort to rally the troops — and begin some arm-twisting.

Leaders hoped to alleviate concerns expressed by the far-right over tax credits that will replace the current Obamacare subsides. The bill phases out the credit for individuals earning more than $75,000 and joint-filers up to $150,000.

It doesn’t appear to be enough though. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich) just minutes after the bill was released called the plan “Obamacare 2.0” on Twitter. And RSC policy staffers huddle Monday night to draft a memo detainee their concerns.

“This is a Republican welfare entitlement,” the RSC memo reads. “Writing checks to individuals to purchase insurance is, in principle, Obamacare. It does allow more choices for individuals, and is more patient-centered, but is fundamentally grounded on the idea that the federal government should fund insurance purchases.”

It is unclear if conservatives who still don’t like the bill would be willing to vote against it, potentially blocking the repeal effort from passage. While Brat said he’d vote against it, few others have taken a position yet. House Republican leaders expect some conservatives and moderates to oppose the measure on the floor. But they can only afford to lose 21 votes.

RSC chairman Mark Walker in a statement thanked leadership for their work on it and said “I applaud the movement and believe it is the right direction.”

“We are carefully reviewing this legislation looking in three main areas of shared conservative concern: protection of the unborn, elimination of Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion and ensuring the tax credits are fiscally responsible,” the North Carolina Republican said.

The RSC's steering committee will meet Tuesday to discuss next steps forward.

Freedom Caucus members, meanwhile, talked amongst themselves about the bill. While many believed the final version was more to their liking than older drafts, one source wasn’t sure if conservatives could get on board with GOP’s plan to offer advanceable, refundable tax credits. Such credits are a key pillar of the Ryan plan and one of the most controversial issues for conservatives. They worry the plan will create an entitlement and have been pushing for a tax deduction instead.

Many other Republicans — from leadership to centrists to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price — believe such credits are necessary since the nation’s poorest don’t pay taxes and therefore wouldn’t benefit from a deduction.

In addition to criticism of the tax credit proposal, the RSC memo jabbed at the House’s plan to keep the Medicaid expansion for three years before winding down in 2020. The memo says the plan “continues to contribute to the worsening of the federal and state budgets by incentivizing states to maintain expansion or to initiate new expansions and leaving the federal government picking up the majority of the bill.”

Conservatives have been calling for House GOP leaders to advance a repeal-only bill that Congress sent to President Barack Obama's desk in 2015. They worry getting into the repleacment details on the repeal bill is slowing the process.

Republican rank and file who support the plan find their demands ironic, in part because its conservatives like Sen. Rand Paul and HFC Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) who first called for repeal and replace to occur simultaneously. House GOP leadership in December had laid out a plan to pass a simple repeal bill early, then go back and replace it after. But Paul blasted the process, and conservatives in the Freedom Caucus agree that the two needed to happen at once.

A Paul's interview on the topic had caught Trump's attention, and the president eventually agreed they should be done together, forcing House GOP leadership to upend their plans. Now, however, conservatives want what they call a "clean" repeal bill, sans alternative provisions.

<..snip..>

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/obamacare-repeal-conservatives-235753

[Norm Lenhart]

Lets be honest folks. And lets look at the ugly truth here. For a change. If you have the integrity left to do it.

Not Trump's fault.
Not Hillary's fault.
Not Harry Reid's fault.
Not Nancy Pelosi's fault.
Not Bill Ayres fault.
Not George Soros fault.

The people 100% to blame are the marching morons that marched their asses into a booth and elected the R E P U B L I C A N S that not only KEPT FUNDING OBAMACARE, but handed you all this and called it good.

These America hating idiots were told, shown the facts, begged, were pleaded with and more, to not vote 'no matter what' for liberals with 'R''s velcroed to their sleeves. But they knew better. For 4 elections running.

[Chosen Daughter]

Lets be honest folks. And lets look at the ugly truth here. For a change. If you have the integrity left to do it.

Not Trump's fault.
Not Hillary's fault.
Not Harry Reid's fault.
Not Nancy Pelosi's fault.
Not Bill Ayres fault.
Not George Soros fault.

The people 100% to blame are the marching morons that marched their asses into a booth and elected the R E P U B L I C A N S that not only KEPT FUNDING OBAMACARE, but handed you all this and called it good.

These America hating idiots were told, shown the facts, begged, were pleaded with and more, to not vote 'no matter what' for liberals with 'R''s velcroed to their sleeves. But they knew better. For 4 elections running.

And now its the people who voted 100% for Trumps new Universal Health care.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Lets be honest folks. And lets look at the ugly truth here. For a change. If you have the integrity left to do it.

Not Trump's fault.

OK.  Good to know the voters are responsible for believing Trump's campaign lies.  They should be punished.

[Norm Lenhart]

And now its the people who voted 100% for Trumps new Universal Health care.

Perspective: There would be no Trumpcare in the first place without the GOP creating it and pushing the bill for it. Put the blame where it belongs. On the people that literally created the situation.

What ever problem you have with Trump or any other pol, they would not be in office had unthinking voters not put their personal desires over the facts/truth in evidence. You can't blame Trump for being Trump anymore than you can blame a dog for being a dog. They are what they are and don't hide it.

Who DOES 'hide it' are the people that beat their chests purple about their conservatism, then go out and elect people that are in opposition to conservative positions. Like the overwhelming majority of the GOP who likewise beat their chests purple preaching obamacare repeals only to reneg on it all after the election.

Since this happens every 2 years, people have no excuse. They know the GOP is lying and elect them anyway. So the logical conclusion is these people want Obamacare and they want liberal government. They ALSO want to be called conservatives for doing it.

That may fly in Unicornland, but in reality it doesn't.  People that took the 'no matter what' and situationally ethical 'lesser evil' voting position need to go in the corner, put their pink pXXXY hats on and STFU until this mess is over. They have already done enough damage to their country.

[Norm Lenhart]

OK.  Good to know the voters are responsible for believing Trump's campaign lies.  They should be punished.

Stupid people shouldn't breed either.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Stupid people shouldn't breed either.

You're a little late to be telling me that now.

[Norm Lenhart]

You're a little late to be telling me that now.

Been saying it for decades. People didn't listen then either. It was true then and it's true today.

Now if you'd care to educate me as to how the person buying the lie is not themselves responsible for buying the lie I'd be appreciative. Likewise, if you'd be so kind as to explain to me why after being lied to by the GOP over and over, people are blameless for electing proven liars, I'd likewise be appreciative.

But if ANYONE can tell me why people refuse to take any responsibility whatsoever for their role in this fiasco, I'd be eternally grateful.

[Chosen Daughter]

Perspective: There would be no Trumpcare in the first place without the GOP creating it and pushing the bill for it. Put the blame where it belongs. On the people that literally created the situation.

What ever problem you have with Trump or any other pol, they would not be in office had unthinking voters not put their personal desires over the facts/truth in evidence. You can't blame Trump for being Trump anymore than you can blame a dog for being a dog. They are what they are and don't hide it.

Who DOES 'hide it' are the people that beat their chests purple about their conservatism, then go out and elect people that are in opposition to conservative positions. Like the overwhelming majority of the GOP who likewise beat their chests purple preaching obamacare repeals only to reneg on it all after the election.

Since this happens every 2 years, people have no excuse. They know the GOP is lying and elect them anyway. So the logical conclusion is these people want Obamacare and they want liberal government. They ALSO want to be called conservatives for doing it.

That may fly in Unicornland, but in reality it doesn't.  People that took the 'no matter what' and situationally ethical 'lesser evil' voting position need to go in the corner, put their pink pXXXY hats on and STFU until this mess is over. They have already done enough damage to their country.

No argument here.  We have what we have because people voted for it.  And I might ad they voted for reality television president and he has not disappointed.

[Cripplecreek]

It is no secret that I have not supported President Trump from the beginning and I fully admit I do not comprehend his appeal, but I do know that almost half of America voted for Trump...more than half if you believe Brietbart.com and the sitting President of the United States Donald J Trump.

Actually around half of those who voted in a low turnout election. Probably less than 25% of eligible voters voted for him. People even more disgusted than you and I didn't vote at all.

[Hondo69]

At a quick glance it looks like one giant cluster.

Simplify, take a deep breath, then simplify some more.  The old axiom holds true - the more complex the problem the more simple the solution must be.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

If Schumer's against it...


Maybe it's not half bad?

[LonestarDream]

The majority of the country wants Obamacare repealed.  They'd better not screw it up.

I think folks on this thread are being way too pessimistic.

If people call their congressman, repeal could still pass without replace, then Trump would have to veto repeal- in the context of an omni-bus spending bill.

If a form of replace does pass, we can RIGHT NOW call our congressmen to lobby for which elements we want in the bill.

All of the existing mandates and taxes in the bill have been removed.  Pre-existing conditions in the bill  will covered by a 30% increase in insurance rates, if there is a coverage break.


This coverage break price increase is a government free way to deal with the free rider problem and adverse selection which are key issues.   

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes Obama/Clinton/Bush have made this a socialist country.  But we can grow our way out of the socialism like the US/UK did in the 1980s or fail in form the Venezuela, Greece or the former Soviet Union. 

There are many pathways out of socialism, and they do always end up like Cuba or North Korea. 

[NavyCanDo]

The majority of the country wants Obamacare repealed.  They'd better not screw it up.

From this day forward the Republicans own it.

[LonestarDream]

From this day forward the Republicans own it.

Not yet.  One outcome is neither repeal nor replace passes-- mandate fines are not collected and exchanges implode. 

Another is repeal passes, but  then the democrats will just blame the Republicans for all the newly 'uninsured' .   Entitlements are tough to unwind....

[Right_in_Virginia]

Lets stay optimistic.  Pence and Cruz will be trying to get folks to work together.

This is Ryancare....I'm hoping Cruz, Lee and Paul stand up.  For starters, I'd like to see competition across state lines and limits on lawsuits included in this new plan. 

I am hoping Ryan's proposal is a place to begin, not end.

[LonestarDream]

This is Ryancare....I'm hoping Cruz, Lee and Paul stand up.  For starters, I'd like to see competition across state lines and limits on lawsuits included in this new plan. 

I am hoping Ryan's proposal is a place to begin, not end.

I think those elements are in place.  The fight seems to be over weaning of the subsidies .  Ryancare still has too many some for and not enough for some of the RHINOs. 

An interesting dynamic. 

[Jazzhead]

As the father of a 13 year old boy, and 2 younger daughters I am perhaps abnormally concerned about the future of my country, but watching President Trump's performance over the last month has been much worse than I feared.  Last weekend I drowned my fears and worries in a sea of Fireball whiskey, but the effect was only temporary...for in the sobriety of the morning all of my doubt and despair returned again...

and that is when I remembered...

That I had more Fireball whiskey.

Sobriety sucks, doesn't it?    Trump's administration is going to hell in a handbasket, and most of it's self-inflicted.   

[txradioguy]

From this day forward the Republicans own it.

Yup and they've got one shot to get this right and not screw it up.

[Right_in_Virginia]

I think those elements are in place.  The fight seems to be over weaning of the subsidies .  Ryancare still has too many some for and not enough for some of the RHINOs. 

I'm not sure those elements are in place @LonestarDream --- but I could have missed them.  I do appreciate the President's attitude in this morning's tweet ... most especially the word "negotiation".

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 1h1 hour ago More
Our wonderful new Healthcare Bill is now out for review and negotiation. ObamaCare is a complete and total disaster - is imploding fast!

[Suppressed]

Can't cover prexeisting conditions without some sort of penalty for not buying coverage.


Everyone wants something for nothing.

BINGO