How the White House and Republicans underestimated Obamacare repeal

[DonViejo]

The Trump team thought Congress would scrap the health law by late February. Nobody expected the effort to drag into the summer months.

By NANCY COOK and BURGESS EVERETT 07/17/2017 05:06 AM EDT

The longer Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare flounder, the clearer it becomes that President Donald Trump’s team and many in Congress dramatically underestimated the challenge of rolling back former President Barack Obama’s signature achievement.

The Trump transition team and other Republican leaders presumed that Congress would scrap Obamacare by President’s Day weekend in late February, according to three former Republican congressional aides and two current ones familiar with the administration’s efforts.

Republican leaders last fall planned a quick strike on the law in a series of meetings and phone calls, hoping to simply revive a 2015 repeal bill that Obama vetoed.

Few in the administration or Republican leadership expected the effort to stretch into the summer months, with another delay announced this weekend, eating into valuable time for lawmakers to tackle tax reform, nominations or spending bills.

As Trump himself infamously remarked, “nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated” — even though health care has reliably tripped up past administrations.

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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/17/obamacare-repeal-republicans-white-house-240607

[Shell_Seas]

1. Thanks Obama!!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. Thank goodness for the American people it hasn't been that easy for them

Their efforts to draft a bill in the Senate with only 13/100 Republican male Senators in near total secrecy and to quickly ram a bill through the Senate in order to sidestep massive opposition were derailed as well. The Republicans seemed to have underestimated the general satisfaction with the law, even after 7 years of their relentless smearing and sabotage, and the degree to which the general public REALLY doesn't like the GOP alternative (which is not really even an alternative IMHO).

[Gothmog]

3. The GOP does not believe in government and so are bad at governing

[Bluepinky]

4. That's the gist of it.

Republicans address issues important to the wealthiest Americans and want to forget about the rest of the people. They didn't realize so many people want the health care they have had for the last few years.
Republicans don't govern, they just pass tax codes and get rid of regulations to allow more money to flow to the top 1%. It's all about money with them.