“We are seven months into the fiscal year”, added Representative Nita Lowey of NY, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. House leaders have said they intend to introduce a funding bill Monday night, setting up a vote on Thursday. But several moderate Republicans were either undecided or opposed the bill for fear that it would not protect those with pre-existing conditions and cause millions to lose health insurance. Asked whether the bill would go to the floor, he told reporters: “Stay tuned”.
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The White House had pressured GOP leaders to push legislation replacing President Barack Obama’s health care law through the House this week, in time for Trump to claim bragging rights by the symbolic 100th day.
Top aides to President Donald Trump on Monday said they expect the House of Representatives will vote this week to overhaul the USA healthcare system, but it was unclear when a vote would be scheduled, and moderate Republican lawmakers remained skeptical. “It’s because they wanted results”, Ryan said in his opening day address to the House in January after his election as speaker.
“I have no idea”.
“I certainly hope so”, he said.
Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pennsylvania, said where things stand will become clearer at the conference meeting Tuesday at 9 a.m. Republicans tried but failed to pass a replacement bill in March in an embarrassing setback for the Trump administration.
Republicans also point to progress on regulatory issues, with Congress employing a tool called the Congressional Review Act, previously little used, to undo a raft of regulations passed toward the end of the Obama years.
The fight over how pre-existing conditions are covered is at the center of the fight. And I mandate it.
“I think it’s the wrong way to do business but I’m willing to wait five days to see what the long-term plan is”, said.
“The president added that “we actually have a clause that guarantees” coverage for those with pre-existing conditions”.
Here’s the problem: The bill as now constituted would keep the Obamacare mandate that people with pre-existing conditions be covered, but would allow states to apply for waivers that could greatly change the cost and quality of that coverage.
Republicans have recast it to let states escape a requirement under Mr Obama’s 2010 law that insurers charge healthy and seriously ill customers the same rates. Some border-state Republicans also oppose the barrier, calling it expensive and ineffective.
Republicans might seem stuck in a never ending cycle of trying to please the moderate and conservative wings of their party but pressure from the White House to deliver a legislative win for Trump is real. The House and Senate then passed the bill.
Meanwhile negotiations moved ahead on the longer-term spending bill, which would fund the day-to-day operations of virtually every federal agency.
“I want it to be good for sick people”. Will yet another overhaul of the health care system be broadly popular?
While the vote was not over, the chamber was on track to overwhelmingly to approve the weeklong measure and send it to the Senate.
“So much has been made of this signature piece of legislation and the timing”, Priebus said.
The catchall spending bill is the first major piece of bipartisan legislation during Trump’s short tenure.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer sought to walk that back during his daily press briefing Monday. Centrists who said they would vote “no” on the bill say they haven’t been contacted by leadership about potential sweeteners, including Reps.
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Centrist Republicans were the primary target of lobbying by the White House and GOP leaders seeking the 216 votes they would need to clinch passage of the health measure. Don’t forget, a lot of them I didn’t even know.
