Republicans Promise To Tackle Repeal And Replace By End Of March
Congressional Republicans are meeting with the president in Philadelphia to discuss plans to dismantle the health law. They've set an aggressive timetable, after admitting they're going to miss the previous one -- Jan. 27 -- that they set for themselves.
The Associated Press:
Congressional Republicans Sketch Ambitious Agenda
Congressional Republicans laid plans Wednesday to act on a health care repeal bill by the end of March and rewrite the tax code by August as they sketched out an ambitious agenda for their first 200 days under President Donald Trump. Meeting in Philadelphia for their annual policy retreat, they also discussed action to raise the nation's borrowing limit, write an infrastructure package sought by Trump and push funding for defense and border priorities. (1/25)
NPR:
Trump And Pence Join Congressional GOP To Discuss How To Replace Obamacare
Republicans have a plan to replace Obamacare. In fact, they have several. What they don't have is consensus on which one will guide the party's effort to reshape an insurance system that provides coverage for some 20 million Americans. (Davis, 1/26)
The Hill:
Ryan Maps Out GOP Timeline For ObamaCare, Tax Reform
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Wednesday mapped out the GOP’s 200-day legislative strategy, saying Republicans will repeal and replace portions of ObamaCare by spring and tackle tax reform before the August recess. During a private meeting of House and Senate Republicans at their annual policy retreat, Ryan said House committees will mark up a reconciliation package in the next couple of weeks that will both repeal President Obama’s healthcare law and replace portions of it, according to several lawmakers in the room. (Wong and Bolton, 1/25)
The Washington Post:
Republicans Set Aggressive Agenda On Health Care, Regulations And Tax Reform
In an afternoon session at an annual GOP policy retreat, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) unveiled plans that put repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act as the first order of business, with the target date for action within the next three months. Lawmakers also plan to move quickly on a broad rewrite of the tax code that is expected to include deep cuts in tax rates. The agenda sets a vigorous pace in an attempt to make good on key campaign promises made by President Trump. (Snell and DeBonis, 1/25)
McClatchy:
House Speaker Paul Ryan’s ACA Repeal Plan Would Resurrect High-Risk Pools
As Republicans struggle to replace Obamacare, House Speaker Paul Ryan wants to make state high-risk pools part of the solution – but doing so would resurrect a failed coverage model that suffered from high premiums, poor funding and limits on coverage, say independent health care experts. Republicans are meeting in Philadelphia this week, and health care coverage is expected to be a major topic. GOP congressmen and senators plan to meet Thursday with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. (Pugh, 1/25)
The Wall Street Journal:
GOP Acknowledges It Won’t Meet Self-Imposed Deadline To Repeal Obamacare
Two days before Republicans’ self-imposed deadline for producing legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, GOP lawmakers acknowledged they were unlikely to meet it. Both the GOP-controlled House and Senate passed budgets this month requiring four committees to deliver proposals by Jan. 27 to roll back major tenets of the 2010 health-care law. (Peterson, 1/25)
Politico:
Hill Republicans Feel Big-Footed On Obamacare
President Donald Trump's recent assertion he will deliver his own health care plan to Congress has antagonized many Republican lawmakers gathered at a retreat in Philadelphia, which could make it harder to reach agreement on a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. Lawmakers have been blindsided by the president’s statements about the elements of an Obamacare replacement plan. Some are also unnerved by the prospect that the executive branch, rather than Congress, will write the legislation and potentially tread on the constitutional notion of separation of powers. (Haberkorn, 1/25)
The Hill:
Rand Paul Unveils ObamaCare Replacement
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) unveiled an ObamaCare replacement bill Wednesday as part of his effort to urge the GOP to speed up work on an alternative to the healthcare law. Paul has been pushing his colleagues to have a replacement plan ready to pass simultaneously with repeal of ObamaCare, a demand that has recently been gaining support inside the party. His office noted that President Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) have also reacted favorably to that idea. (Sullivan, 1/25)
Meanwhile insurers are hoping to shape some of the discussions on where the industry is headed —
Reuters:
Health Insurers Quietly Shape Obamacare Replacement With Fewer Risks
U.S. health insurers are making their case to Republican lawmakers over how Americans sign up for individual insurance and pushing for other changes to shape the replacement of former President Barack Obama's national healthcare law. The health insurers, including Independence Blue Cross and Molina Healthcare Inc, are also recommending ways to put more control over insurance in the hands of states as the federal oversight of Obamacare is dismantled. They emphasize that it is crucial to keep government subsidies for low income people. (Humer, 1/25)