Future of revamped health care bill remains dubious in House

But an increasing number of GOP lawmakers have been voicing new concerns, amid a widespread public backlash against the House legislation.

Trump’s party can not afford defections because Democrats remain unified against the Republican quest to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Democratic former President Barack Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement, dubbed Obamacare.

Trump has made clear he wants progress fast on health care repeal – a campaign promise that he said would be completed on “Day One” but that has remained bogged down nearing the 100th day of his presidency, April 29. He cited the difficulty Democrats faced when trying to pass Obamacare. Trump said. “So I think we’ll get both”.

The member added, “I would say we are skeptical at best”. Still, one key wild card remains: It is unclear how the White House will ultimately secure support for border security funding amid strong Democratic opposition. Although a unified Republican conference would not need Democratic support to advance legislation, some budget hawks are likely to vote against the deal, leaving the GOP with a narrow margin for error.

“We have a good chance of getting it soon”, he said. “He has insisted during these discussions that any legislation must have protections for pre-existing conditions”, his office wrote on a social media post Thursday. But some of the proposals floated reportedly could undercut the law’s popular provision that insurers not be allowed to deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said in a statement that the “Republicans’ latest plan is to expose Americans with pre-existing conditions to staggering new health costs”.

Health insurers are concerned the GOP health bill eliminates the Obamacare requirement most people purchase insurance. “What I think should happen and will happen is the Democrats will start calling me and negotiating”.

Republicans don’t talk much about the practical reason for moving urgently on health care, which is to set the stage for so-called tax reform: They want to take money now used to subsidize health care for low-income Americans and give it to the wealthy in the form of big tax cuts. Lawmakers from both parties have said they would fund the government for the full fiscal year starting in October-a novel move these days.

House Republicans are apparently ready for yet another attempt to snatch health insurance away from constituents who need it.

GOP leaders, who have negotiated with conservative Freedom Caucus members and moderate Republicans over the two-week congressional recess, hope the changes win the support of 18 to 20 GOP lawmakers who resisted supporting the American Health Care Act last month.

House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed they were working on the “finishing touches” of the legislation Wednesday. “When you have a problem in business, you don’t say ‘I can’t get it done, so I’ll just close my doors.’ Work hard to fix it”. It would allow states to relax some of the Obamacare mandates on insurers – primarily the requirement they provide comprehensive coverage and they charge all consumers the same regardless of health status.

In the meantime, outside groups are stepping up their pressure on Republicans.

With lawmakers scattered across the country, at home in the districts and states they represent in Congress, the plans for avoiding next week’s potential shutdown began to resemble a game of telephone: text messages and emails among colleagues distorting the realities with every iteration.

There already are a few bipartisan deals in the works: a little more money for the National Institutes of Health, and more pension and health-care funding for retired miners espoused by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, an embattled Democrat up for re-election next year.

“Since Ryan was not allowing a vote for repeal, the House Freedom Caucus had six demands to fix the AHCA, later reduced to two: “… ending Obamacare’s “essential health benefits” and its “community rating” provisions”.