The Republican Study Committee, 173-member group of rank-and-file House members, has
cobbled together a plan to replace Obamacare, but the primary question is whether Republicans will actually accept it.
Though it wouldn’t be the first Obamacare repeal-and-replace proposal floated by individual GOP lawmakers in either chamber of Congress, the RSC bill is one that could at least gain traction on the House floor, given the conservative group’s size and influence.
It would, however, have to pass muster with House Republican leaders, who have not yet been formally acquainted with the legislative text, according to Scalise. It would also likely need the blessing of outside advocacy groups such as Heritage Action for America and the Club for Growth, which could make or break the bill’s chances of passage.
[RSC Chairman Steve Scalise] said the plan would include protections for people with pre-existing conditions—one of the main benefits of Obamacare.
Here's the problem for Scalise and the RSC: They've tried that one before. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor floated a
bill that would have extended Obamacare's protections for people with preexisting conditions, and even brought it to the floor. But it was another one of those major "oops" for leadership when he had to pull it because he couldn't get enough support from the crowd—backed by Heritage Action and Club for Growth—to pass it. For them, it's repeal and repeal only. Well, repeal and government shutdown.