{"id":35276,"date":"2017-07-18T05:30:52","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T05:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=35276"},"modified":"2017-07-18T05:30:52","modified_gmt":"2017-07-18T05:30:52","slug":"kill-the-bill-activists-use-latest-gop-healthcare-delay-to-ramp-up-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/health\/medical\/kill-the-bill-activists-use-latest-gop-healthcare-delay-to-ramp-up-pressure.html","title":{"rendered":"‘Kill the bill’: activists use latest GOP healthcare delay to ramp up pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘Kill the bill’: activists use latest GOP healthcare delay to ramp up pressure<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

‘Kill the bill’: activists use latest GOP healthcare delay to ramp up pressure:- Activists opposed to the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) intend to make the most of a delay caused by the absence of John McCain as he recovers from surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Liberal grassroots groups have organized a slate of public rallies and protests to draw attention to the Republican effort to repeal the 2010 healthcare law, popularly known as Obamacare. On Monday afternoon, a coalition of groups joined Democratic members of Congress on Capitol Hill to denounce the latest version of the Senate Republican bill. Activists were also preparing to stage sit-ins in the offices of undecided Republican senators, to urge them to \u201ckill the bill\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Republicans had planned to hold a vote on a revised version of the healthcare bill this week. But on Saturday night, the majority leader, Mitch McConnell, announced that he would \u201cdefer consideration\u201d of the bill because McCain would remain in Arizona for a week to recover from surgery to remove a blood clot above his left eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Monday, Trump vowed to repeal what he called \u201cjob-killing Obamacare\u201d and said multiple times that he expected McCain to recover and return to Washington because \u201cwe need that vote\u201d. <\/span>
\n\u201cWe hope John McCain gets better very soon because we miss him,\u201d Trump said, during remarks at his \u201cMade in America\u201d products showcase event at the White House.<\/span>
\n\u201cHe\u2019s a crusty voice in Washington. Plus, we need his vote.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump is escalating his outreach to wavering Republican senators and invited a handful of conservatives to a private meeting at the White House on Monday night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been a very robust discussion with House and Senate leadership,\u201d the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said during the daily briefing on Monday. \u201cWe\u2019re going to do what we did last time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After a number of fits and starts, House Republicans narrowly passed a consensus healthcare bill in May with no Democratic votes. Trump celebrated the victory with a Rose Garden ceremony, though later derided the House bill as \u201cmean\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Republicans, who hold a slim two-vote majority, cannot pass the healthcare bill without McCain\u2019s support. Two senators have already said they would vote against bringing the bill to the floor for a vote \u2013 and Democrats are uniformly opposed to the measure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last week, McCain predicted that the Republican effort to repeal the ACA would flounder under public pressure, when wavering senators returned home and faced strong opposition from voters. McConnell had hoped to hold a vote before the August recess, which he delayed because of divisions among his party.<\/span><\/p>\n

Senate Republicans unveiled their revised healthcare draft last week, aiming to win over moderate and conservative holdouts. But the changes to the bill were swiftly rejected as insufficient by Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, leaving leaders with only one vote to lose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Collins lambasted the proposal\u2019s steep cuts to Medicaid, the entitlement program that helps provide low-income Americans with access to healthcare. Paul complained that the new legislation did not go far enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

The revised plan retains two ACA taxes on high-income earners, in order to generate revenue Republicans say can be directed toward subsidies for low-income people. It also includes $45bn in funding to address the opioid crisis, a top priority on both sides of the aisle. The bill nonetheless guts Medicaid by rolling back an expansion of the program under the ACA, in addition to altering the formula used to calculate its funding, which analysts said could leave states with substantially less coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some moderate holdouts \u2013 Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Dean Heller of Nevada \u2013 were reluctant to embrace the bill, telling reporters on Capitol Hill their concerns over the impact on Medicaid remained.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Sunday, Collins said there were \u201cabout eight to 10 Republican senators who have serious concerns about this bill\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some Republicans also took issue with the inclusion of a controversial amendment crafted by two of the chamber\u2019s most conservative members, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah, that would allow insurers to offer bare-bones plans that do not meet the ACA\u2019s coverage requirements as long as they also offer plans that do meet those standards.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two of the country\u2019s largest insurance groups, America\u2019s Health Insurance Plans and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, called the provision \u201csimply unworkable\u201d. In a letter to Senate leadership, the groups said the so-called Consumer Freedom Option would \u201cundermine protections for those with pre-existing medical conditions, increase premiums and lead to widespread terminations of coverage for people currently enrolled in the individual market\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

During his remarks on Monday, Trump said Republicans were \u201cpushing very hard\u201d on healthcare and that the \u201cRepublican senators are great people\u201d. Discussing the delicate and protracted negotiations to craft a bill that could earn at least 50 votes, Trump explained: \u201cSome states need this, some states need that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut we\u2019re getting it together,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump turned to the vice-president, Mike Pence, for assurance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight, Mike?\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sir,\u201d Pence replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

A number of GOP leaders are openly skeptical that Senate Republicans can forge a consensus. But they also worry about the political consequences of failing to fulfill seven years of promises to repeal the ACA.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a critical time for us as Republicans because we do have the Senate, and the House and the White House,\u201d Ronna McDaniel, chairman of the Republican National Committee, told the conservative radio host Laura Ingraham on Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow it\u2019s our time to show not only that we can repeal and replace Obamacare, something that is failing across this country and crumbling, but also that we can govern when we\u2019re given the majority.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRepublicans need to show that we can lead, and that we can tackle tough issues as a party, and that\u2019s going to be important going into 2018 as to whether or not we can keep majorities in the House and expand our majority in the Senate, where we have a very favorable map.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Healthcare activists will continue to target wavering Republican senators. On Wednesday, as many as 200 people from across the country who could be affected by changes to the healthcare law will come to Washington. A press release said activists would \u201coccupy Capitol Hill offices\u201d and deliver the message: \u201cKill the bill. Don\u2019t kill us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

source: https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2017\/jul\/17\/republican-healthcare-bill-vote-delay-activists-protest<\/span><\/p>\n

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