Two days after the Congressional Budget Office released its report detailing just what a disaster Trumpcare would be, Republicans are still trying to regain their footing, and Democrats are emboldened. But it’s important not to mistake “trying to regain their footing” for “ready to abandon the cause.” We are talking about Republicans and the chance to repeal Obamacare and give rich people a big tax cut, here. They will not give up on this one easily.
The House Trumpcare bill is not a serious healthcare plan, and falls short of Trump's claim that any replacement would "get insurance for everybody." Call the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and demand they reject it.
Here are some of the other highlights of the day.
There are a host of reasons for Republicans to be worried about supporting this bill:
- We’re learning more about why people will lose their insurance, like with the massive premium surcharge for anyone who lets their coverage lapse for more than two months.
- Voters support Planned Parenthood, which the Trumpcare plan attacks, and think Trumpcare would make things worse. That’s according to the Kaiser Family Foundation tracking survey.
- A poll from Public Policy Polling similarly shows Trumpcare drawing more opposition than support from voters.
- And Democrats are ready to pounce, potentially following parts of the playbook that worked so well for Republicans in 2010 after Democrats passed Obamacare.
All that said, this is no time for Democratic triumphalism.
- This bill offers Republicans dream opportunities like punishing and humiliating poor people trying to get Medicaid. That’s worth a lot to people who place as much emphasis on being cruel as Republican lawmakers do.
- Republican senators are criticizing the plan and the House Freedom Caucus is screaming about it, but, when it comes to the latter, “The idea that the Republicans most dependent on the same crazy coalition that put Trump in office would stand up to him on what may be the most important vote going into 2018 is the real trap.” And most of those Republican senators running to the media to criticize Trumpcare are going out of their way not to pledge they’ll vote against it.
- House Speaker Paul Ryan is looking for ways to sweeten the pot to help Republicans pretend like the CBO score isn’t a problem and some other bill (that won’t pass the Senate) can fix things. Look for more efforts like this in days to come.