Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Political Fate Pondered Of Key Role Players In Republican Health Care Bill Wrangling
The Philadelphia Inquirer: South Jersey's MacArthur Could Be A GOP Star — If Health-Care Backlash Doesn’t Sink Him
Just a few years ago, Tom MacArthur was virtually unknown in New Jersey politics. A former mayor of Randolph, a North Jersey town of 26,000, he moved to the shore to run for an open congressional seat in 2014. Over the past several weeks, MacArthur burst onto the national scene by brokering a deal with the White House and conservative hard-liners in Congress that revived the GOP’s plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. (Seidman and Tamari, 5/12)
Politico Pro: MacArthur, Upton Have Senate Buzz After Health Care Roles
Reps. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) are now the men who saved the House GOP’s plan to replace Obamacare. And two years from now, they might be senators — or be out of office entirely. Upton is seriously considering a Senate run, according to Republican operatives close to him, and national Republicans have long seen him as the best candidate to face Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in 2018. Another Republican source said MacArthur would consider challenging under-indictment Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez in 2018, too. (Robillard and Strauss, 5/12)
Roll Call: Western North Carolina Notices Meadows’ Newfound Notoriety
Rep. Mark Meadows has long been a household name in western North Carolina, but his newfound notoriety outside the 11th District has not gone unnoticed by those back home. “If you watch TV at all you know that our congressman is very much a mover and shaker in Washington, D.C.,” South Caldwell High School teacher Tony Crump said, as he introduced Meadows at a masonry competition Thursday for three area high schools. Meadows has been on national cable news a lot more in the past few months. The chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus was one of the key figures in the debate over the health care bill that narrowly passed the House last week. (McPherson, 5/12)
