Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Billy Long (R-MO), critical holdouts on Zombie Trumpcare, have reversed course following a meeting with popular vote loser Donald Trump and are now going to be a "yes" on Zombie Trumpcare, provided the bullshit scam of an amendment Upton put forward is included on the floor. If it gets to the floor. Because it's bullshit, it's not getting every opposing Republican on board.
New Jersey Rep. Leonard Lance, a moderate Republican opposed to the bill, told CNN Wednesday morning that Upton's proposed change would not sway him to support the health care legislation. Lance also noted that he has not heard from Trump or Vice President Mike Pence in several weeks.
The future of the bill "as uncertain as we've seen it," a Republican involved in the health care talks said.
The details of the Upton amendment settled on Tuesday night and the House Energy and Commerce committee is now offering technical drafting guidance so that his idea can become legislative text, a committee source added. The source cautioned, however, that as of Wednesday morning, the amendment had not been finalized.
It's not been finalized, there will be no Congressional Budget Office scoring of it, but the White House is still pushing for a vote this week (it's apparently Mick Mulvaney's week to be president as he seems to be the one driving the timeline now). But it is as close to being ready for a vote, now that Upton and Long are on board, as it's been yet. It's still on the cusp of failing by most whip counts, but the cusp of failing is basically the cusp of passing.
It's still a really, really bad bill. It still can't pass the Senate. It still leaves at least 24 million uninsured in a decade. It still essentially ends Medicaid. It will still cost people with serious illnesses more than they can afford—a premium surcharge of $28,000 annually for someone with breast cancer, $5,510 for a diabetic, $140,510 for someone with metastatic cancer. The $8 billion added by Upton does basically nothing to help these people.
That's the message every Republican needs to hear from you, their constituents.
As if taking away health care from 24 million people wasn't bad enough, House Republicans have a new plan that would be even worse. Call your member of Congress at 202-224-3121, and tell them you expect them to FIGHT Trumpcare.