Republicans Realize Taking Obamacare Away From Their Voters Maybe Isn't A Great Idea

[Stellar]

WASHINGTON -- Republicans have enjoyed big electoral wins over the past year that put them on the verge of being able to do major damage to Obamacare. Only now, some of them seem a little anxious about taking the next, big step.

It's a truism in politics, espoused by Republicans and Democrats alike, that it's awfully hard to take away government benefits once they've been offered. In the case of the Affordable Care Act, repeal would mean yanking health coverage from more than 16 million people who didn't have it before, between those who now get subsidies for private health insurance and those who gained access to Medicaid coverage via the law's expansion of that program to more low-income adults.

It's the Medicaid expansion that now appears to be complicating the ceaseless, noisy and heretofore ineffective "Repeal Obamacare!" movement. The House has voted dozens of times to get rid of Obamacare (or at least cripple it) since 2011, but the Senate has been in GOP hands for almost a year and a repeal bill is still on a winding path through the sluggish upper chamber. It may eventually wind up on President Barack Obama's desk, finally giving congressional Republicans the veto they've so long craved.

But wait! New obstacles have appeared, in the form of Republican senators who aren't so sure they want their names associated with an effort to magically transform millions of their constituents from insured people to uninsured people.

Here's Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), as reported by The Hill's Alexander Bolton:

“I am very concerned about the 160,000 people who had Medicaid expansion in my state. I have difficulty with that being included."
And here's what Montana's freshman Republican senator (who succeeded Democrat Max Baucus, the chief author of the health law) had to say:

“I respect the decision of our Legislature and our governor on Medicaid expansion,” said Sen. Steve Daines (R) of Montana, which has a Democratic governor. “I’m one who respects their rights and voices.”
A mystery senator summed up the whole problem for the GOP leadership, The Hill reported:

Another Senate Republican, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern that states that expanded Medicaid would be penalized by billions of dollars if Congress repealed the federal assistance.

More: HuffPo

[drray23]

1. it will be very interesting to see what will happen in kentucky.

After all, Bevins said he would dismantle kynect and stop/reverse medicare expansion.