Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Committee Chairmen Demand Answers About Administration's 'Sudden And Significant' Reversal In Health Law Case
Politico: House Democrats Demand Trump Administration Disclose Obamacare Legal Strategy
House Democrats are demanding the Trump administration turn over documents related to its refusal to defend Obamacare in court, in an escalation of the political battle over a case that has put health care at risk for millions. The chairmen of five House committees sent letters to the White House, Justice Department and top Trump health officials seeking information on the administration's recent decision to support the health care law's full elimination in court. They called it a “sudden and significant reversal” that violates the federal government’s longstanding precedent of defending its own laws. (Cancryn, 4/9)
The Hill: Dems Demand Answers On Trump Officials' Decision Not To Defend ObamaCare
Top Democrats, led by Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.) and Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings (Md.), sent letters Tuesday to the White House and departments of Justice as well as Health and Human Services demanding access to materials that explain the decision and identifies the officials involved in making it. (Hellmann, 4/9)
The Wall Street Journal: Attorney General Defends White House Attempt To Dismantle Affordable Care Act
Attorney General William Barr defended the Trump administration’s renewed attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. He hinted, though, that he initially expressed doubts about the Justice Department’s recent shift taking a tougher stance against the Obama-era health law. Mr. Barr told lawmakers Tuesday he ultimately didn’t object to the move to oppose the law in total late last month. (Gurman and Kendall, 4/9)
The Hill: Barr Defends Administration's Efforts To Overturn ObamaCare In Court
Asked by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) why the DOJ would take such “dramatic and drastic action,” Barr replied: “Do you think it’s likely we’re going to prevail?” “We are in litigation and we have to take a position. If you think it’s such an outrageous position, you have nothing to worry about. Let the courts do their job,” he said during a House Appropriations hearing Tuesday. (Hellmann, 4/9)
PBS NewsHour: WATCH: Barr Pressed About DOJ Effort To Strike Down Affordable Care Act
Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Penn., asked Attorney General William Barr about the Justice Department’s “litigation position” to strike down the Affordable Care Act. Cartwright asked Barr whether he’s properly evaluated the consequences, including the millions of people at risk of losing health care coverage, if DOJ’s lawsuit is successful. (Barajas, 4/9)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Is Out Of Obamacare Lawsuits After Court Rules In Last Case
A federal appeals court dropped Wisconsin Tuesday from a lawsuit over Obamacare, allowing Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul to secure one of their campaign goals. The ruling was the latest in a string of court decisions allowing Wisconsin to get out of lawsuits over Obamacare, widely known as the Affordable Care Act. (Marley, 4/9)
Meanwhile —
The Wall Street Journal: Republicans Revive Efforts To Preserve Health-Law Provisions
A group of Senate Republicans is reviving legislation aimed at guaranteeing protections for people with pre-existing conditions, as the GOP attempts to blunt the political advantage Democrats may have on health care before the 2020 election. The bill, which Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) and roughly a dozen other Senate Republicans plan to introduce Wednesday, would preserve key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which the Trump administration has moved to strike down in court. The proposal, an expanded version of a similar Senate Republican bill introduced last year, prohibits insurers from charging higher premiums to patients with pre-existing conditions and bars them from excluding coverage of treatments for those individuals. (Duehren, 4/10)
