Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Friction In Republican Party Over Health Care Sparks Into Flames At Town Halls
The Wall Street Journal: Congress Feels Squeeze From Sputtering Health Law Overhaul
After nearly two hours of fielding mostly health-care questions from hundreds of rowdy constituents at a full auditorium here this week, Republican Rep. Mike Coffman threw up his arms in frustration. “Those of you on the extreme left will never be satisfied,” he told the group of about 500 people assembled at a town hall here at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The crowd erupted in boos. (Andrews and Peterson, 4/14)
The Washington Post: Two Republican Lawmakers Face Anger, From Their Own Voters, On Health Care
Inside a government building here, far-right Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) scolded his party’s leaders for rolling out an “ill-advised” health-care bill and blamed House Speaker Paul D. Ryan for the ensuing debacle. The next evening on a college campus nestled in the Rocky Mountains, moderate Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) held the House Freedom Caucus — to which Yoho belongs — culpable for the legislation’s defeat. (Sullivan and Snell, 4/15)
The Associated Press: Even In Hometown, Constituents Rip Into Republican Lawmaker
Republican congressman Greg Walden found a hostile audience when he hosted a town hall in his Oregon home town last week. Roughly 800 people turned out to confront the 10-term congressman on issues like health care, immigration, the environment and Syria. Walden is a magnet for questions about health care because he is a lead author of the stalled House Republican health care bill. (Fram, 4/17)
The Washington Post Fact Checker: Do Members Of Congress Pay For 100 Percent Of Their Health Insurance?
The Fact Checker has been receiving lots of fact-check suggestions from readers who attended district town halls, in response to our new initiative to fact-check what members of Congress tell constituents during the April recess. Not surprisingly, some of the most heated exchanges at many of the town halls involved health care and the failed GOP replacement bill for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. (Lee, 4/17)
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's rejuvenated health care push is throwing a wrench in congressional plans —
The Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Renewed Focus On Health Bill Vexes GOP Tax Overhaul Strategy
President Donald Trump’s revived enthusiasm for tackling health-care legislation before tax policy has highlighted the complicated interplay between Republicans’ health-care overhaul and their planned tax bill. Mr. Trump signaled last week that one of the reasons he has reprioritized health care is that he was relying on savings from the health bill to bolster the tax plan. (Rubin, 4/16)
Minnesota Public Radio: Trump's Threat To Gut Obamacare On His Own Worries Minnesotans
President Trump is warning he may try to withhold $7 billion in health care subsidy payments until Democrats agree to negotiate an Obamacare replacement bill. Local observers, though, say that could be disastrous to people who depend on that aid. (Zdechlik, 4/17)
