GOP Senators Tapped By Trump To Work On Health Law Replacement Have Little Appetite For The Task
Republican Sens. Rick Scott, Mitt Romney, John Barrasso and Bill Cassidy are President Donald Trump's new go-to team on health care, but the lawmakers themselves are less than eager to jump into the politically fraught issue. Meanwhile, Mick Mulvaney, the president's acting chief of staff, says there will be a plan coming "fairly shortly" from the administration.
Politico:
Trump’s Health Care Brain Trust Says No Thanks
President Donald Trump promised a new plan to replace Obamacare. But the four Senate Republicans he tapped for the job aren’t jumping at the opportunity. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) says any new plan has to come from the White House — and that he had no warning Trump planned to make him part of the health policy group. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) won't say more than he and colleagues are “working on health care thoughts.” John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), when asked about the Republican plan, turned the question back on the opposition, saying, “Democrats want to go to the complete government takeover of health care.” (Cancryn and Ollstein, 4/8)
The Hill:
Mulvaney: Trump Admin To Release ObamaCare Replacement Plan 'Fairly Shortly'
The Trump administration will release a health care plan to replace the Affordable Care Act “fairly shortly,” acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday. Administration officials and White House aides, including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, met for a Saturday summit at Camp David to discuss possible proposals, according to CNN. (Budryk, 4/7)
And in other health law news —
The Washington Post:
Kansas Lawmakers Pass Bill To Allow Farm Bureau Health Plan
Republican lawmakers in Kansas pressed ahead Friday with allowing the state Farm Bureau to offer health coverage to members that doesn’t satisfy the Affordable Care Act, a state-level effort to circumvent an Obama-era law that President Donald Trump wants to replace. The Kansas House approved an insurance bill on an 84-39 vote that includes provisions to exempt health coverage offered by the Farm Bureau from state insurance regulation, anticipating that the nonprofit group could offer lower-cost products to thousands of individuals and families. The Senate approved the bill Thursday on a 28-12 vote, so it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. (Hanna, 4/6)
