Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Vote Counter Says 'We're Gonna Get This Done' But Many Obstacles Remain For Health Bill
The Hill: Top Vote Counter On ObamaCare Bill: 'We're Gonna Get This Done'
The top vote-counter in the House says there is no doubt that the Republican ObamaCare repeal and replace bill will pass. "We're gonna get this done," House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said with a smile on Thursday. Scalise had a good reason to be in a good mood, despite being awake for 33 straight hours, fueled by adrenaline and several cups of chicory coffee from New Orleans. He was elated the GOP healthcare bill just cleared his Energy and Commerce Committee after what may be the longest legislative markup in history. (Wong and Cusack, 3/10)
Politico: Budget Referee May Call Foul On Obamacare Repeal
The fate of Obamacare may lie in the hands of a number-crunching Republican appointee whose bottom line might single-handedly blow up the GOP quest to repeal and replace it. Congressional Budget Office Director Keith Hall was handpicked two years ago by top Republicans in Congress -- including now Health and Human Service Secretary Tom Price -- to lead a nonpartisan office that will soon release its estimate of how many Americans the Republican health care bill will cover and whether it shrinks or balloons the federal deficit. (Pradhan, 3/10)
CQ Roll Call: 11 House GOP Lawmakers To Watch On Obamacare Repeal
As House Republicans rolled out their plan to replace the 2010 health care overhaul this week, some members of the conference found themselves stuck between their constituents and their colleagues. Eleven House Republicans, who will be expected by party leadership and the White House to support the GOP's replacement plan, represent districts where at least 6 percent of their constituents are enrolled in government insurance exchanges set up by the law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152), according to a CQ Roll Call analysis of Kaiser Family Health Foundation and Census Bureau data. (McMinn, 3/9)
The Associated Press: AP Explains: How To Transform GOP Health Care Plan Into Law
Republicans' long-awaited plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act has cleared a couple hurdles in the House. The GOP still must navigate a complicated path to turn its 123-page proposal from legislation to law. (Lerer, 3/9)
