TPM - "Five Points On Where The Obamacare Repeal Saga Stands Right Now"
an important read.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/fivepoints/fights-over-obamacare-repeal
By LAUREN FOX AND TIERNEY SNEED Published JANUARY 9, 2017, 6:00 AM EST
Before the holiday break, Republicans were committed to repealing Obamacare. And they wanted it done as fast as they could.
But even as the Senate began to move forward with dismantling the health care system, Republicans returned from the holidays with a sinking recognition that executing an immediate repeal of the Affordable Care Act could trigger a major backlash.
In December, the Urban Institute released a detailed warning of how the insurance market could collapse if Republicans charged ahead with plans to partially repeal the Affordable Care Act through reconciliation -- a process that avoids a Democratic filibuster but is limited in its scope -- without a clear replacement. Even Republican and libertarian health care experts were explicit in closed-door meetings with Republicans that the GOP was taking a huge gamble by repealing Obamacare without a replacement. As it turns out, some of the people who benefited the most from Obamacare are the same ones who voted for Trump and the Republicans. The Washington Post cited a fascinating number: Among poor whites, the uninsured rate has dropped from 25 percent to 15 percent. If Republicans were to pull back that safety net, there appears to be a growing recognition that they would bear the consequences.
The mood of Capitol Hill Republicans now is cautious. When asked about the timeline for repeal, House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) told TPM that it was "to be determined," and would likely come in several steps. There is a new emphasis on doing no harm. Members are urging leadership to be transparent with the American people, and internal disagreements over when to repeal the law, how far to go and what to replace it with are bubbling to the surface.
"Please have hearings in the committees of jurisdiction, and I know that people are in a hurry so if you have to have hearings five days a week and into the night, and on the weekends, then have the hearings," said Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV). "The legislative branch is supposed to be the transparent one."
snip
the five points are described further into the article.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Led by Josh Marshall. He's top notch, too.
TPM is one of my must daily visits. I recommend that other DUers do the same. Don't forget Josh's Editor's Blog, always insightful.
R&
and well before that, of course.
