Republican battle lines were drawn Tuesday over a new national health care plan — with conservatives deriding the replacement by the House GOP as “ObamaCare Lite” while President Trump embraced it as “wonderful.”
Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah joined members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus to reject the new plan.
Paul said the conservative wing of the party has “enormous power” and urged that they “withhold” their votes to sink the leadership’s plan and force concessions.
Republicans “are united on repeal but we are divided on replacement,” Paul said Tuesday.
Earlier, on Fox News, he warned that the current proposal was doomed.
“This is ObamaCare Lite. It will not pass. Conservatives aren’t gonna take it,” Paul said.
But Trump and Vice President Mike Pence made clear they want the new “American Health Care Act” enacted and began a charm offensive on Capitol Hill to whip up the votes.
“I am proud to support the replacement plan released by the House of Representatives,” Trump said at a meeting with about 20 GOP House members, part of the whip operation. “This will be a plan where you can choose your doctor and this will be a plan where you can choose your plan … Let’s get it done.”
Earlier, the president tweeted, “Our wonderful new Healthcare Bill is now out for review and negotiation.”
Health Secretary Tom Price hinted the administration was open to working with lawmakers on changes.
“This is a work in progress,” he said.
Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Texas), one of the conservatives demanding revisions, said amendments could make the plan acceptable.
“I think amidst the horse excrement, we can find a pony around here somewhere,” he said.
Pence traveled to the Capitol to drum up support.
“In the weeks ahead, we are very confident that the American Health Care Act … will be on the president’s desk and we will start over with a new future for health care in America,” Pence said after lunching with Republican senators.
But GOP leaders are getting heat from both wings of the party.
The most conservative groups came out against the plan and urged Republicans to reject it: the Club for Growth, Heritage Action, Freedom Partners, Tea Party Patriots and Americans for Prosperity.
Among their concerns: The bill does not fully repeal ObamaCare, Medicaid expansion is not immediately eliminated, and tax subsidies are replaced with tax credits to buy insurance, which critics have dubbed “another entitlement.”
Meanwhile, four GOP senators — Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — said they couldn’t back a plan that didn’t protect Medicaid expansion enrollees.
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the legislation, which restricts Medicaid expansion starting in 2020, addressed the concerns.
“We think it’s a reasonable compromise,” McConnell said Tuesday.
The legislation will get marked up in two House committees Wednesday. By the time the final product reaches the floor, Speaker Paul Ryan vowed it would pass.
“We will have 218 votes . . . I can guarantee you that,” Ryan said.
McConnell predicted the Senate would then get the bill “in the next few weeks” and would take action before the April recess.
Republicans can’t afford a large-scale revolt. There are 237 Republicans in the House and 193 Democrats, with five vacancies. With the current makeup, Republicans could stand to lose only 21 votes in the House, assuming no Democrats sign on. The House Freedom Caucus claims about 40 members.
The margin is even narrower in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 52-48 majority.
The GOP plan would repeal the individual mandate, taxes linked to ObamaCare, restrict Medicaid’s expansion after 2020 and defund Planned Parenthood.
The plan would issue age-based tax credits ranging from $2,000 for individuals under 30 to up to $4,000 for those over 60 to buy insurance.