Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Democrats Schedule Vote To Intervene In Health Law Case, Putting Republicans In Political Hot Seat
The Hill: House To Vote Next Week On Intervening To Defend ObamaCare In Court
The House will hold a vote next week on intervening to defend ObamaCare in court against a GOP-led lawsuit, which Democrats hope will be a tough vote for many Republicans. A spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the vote on having the House formally intervene in court to defend ObamaCare will come next week, in addition to a vote on Thursday on intervening in the lawsuit as part of the larger package of rules for the new session of Congress. (Sullivan, 1/2)
CQ: Democrats Plan Vote Next Week To Join Texas Health Lawsuit
By including the provision in the rules package, Democrats can say one of their first votes was to defend the popular provisions. “After two years of brutal attacks on health care and desperate GOP misrepresentations on the campaign trail, we’re not giving Republicans anywhere to hide,” said Henry Connolly, a spokesman for expected Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “Republicans who survived the election on their tardy promises to protect pre-existing conditions will have to explain why they have once again been complicit in trying to strike down those life-saving protections.” (McIntire, 1/2)
The Hill: Trump Predicts Supreme Court Will Overturn ObamaCare
President Trump on Wednesday predicted that the Supreme Court would declare ObamaCare unconstitutional and that Democrats and Republicans would have to work together on a new health plan. "That case from Texas should win in the Supreme Court," Trump said Wednesday during a televised cabinet meeting. "We should win at the Supreme Court, where this case will go. When we do, we will sit down with the Democrats and we will come up with great health care." (Hellmann, 1/2)
And the vote is just the start of the Democrats' health care plans for 2019 —
The Associated Press: Expect 2019 To Be Quiet In Congress For Small Business
Lawmakers were expected to introduce health care bills even before the federal court ruling last month that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. Since that ruling, which is expected to be appealed and could reach the Supreme Court, House Democrats have said they plan to intervene in the defense of the law. Democrats expect to introduce bills to limit the use of low-cost short-term health plans that have limited coverage and bolster the ACA's coverage of people with pre-existing conditions. Republican opposition to Democratic efforts is likely, although many GOP lawmakers voiced support for pre-existing condition coverage during their election campaigns. (Rosenberg, 1/2)
CQ: 2019 Legislative Preview: Health Care
Fights over health care are set to grip Capitol Hill again this year, with the 2010 health care law and prescription drug prices on the agenda in both chambers. Lawmakers hope they’ll find ways to advance legislation through the Republican-controlled Senate and a Democratic-controlled House. Prescription drug prices may be their best bet, with incoming chairmen like GOP Sen. Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey already calling that a focus. (Siddons and McIntire, 1/3)
