Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Points Finger At Far Right For Health Plan's Collapse
The Washington Post: Trump Shifts Blame For Health-Care Collapse To Far Right
President Trump cast blame Sunday for the collapse of his effort to overhaul the health-care system on conservative interest groups and far-right Republican lawmakers, shifting culpability to his own party after initially faulting Democratic intransigence. His attack — starting with a tweet that singled out the House Freedom Caucus as well as the influential Club for Growth and Heritage Action for America — marked a new turn in the increasingly troubled relationship between the White House and a divided GOP still adjusting to its unorthodox standard-bearer. (Sullivan, Wagner and Phillips, 3/26)
Bloomberg: Trump Lashes Out At Republicans For Defeat Of Health Bill
“Democrats are smiling in D.C. that the Freedom Caucus, with the help of Club for Growth and Heritage, have saved Planned Parenthood & Ocare!” Trump said. (Niquette and Brody, 3/26)
The Washington Post: Trump Goes After Freedom Caucus, But Its Leader Doesn’t Hit Back
Asked about the tweet on the Sunday news shows, two Freedom Caucus members appeared set on avoiding a confrontation with the president. “If they’re applauding, they shouldn’t,” Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the head of the Freedom Caucus, said of the Democrats on ABC’s “This Week.” “Because I can tell you, conversations over the last 48 hours are really about how we come together in the Republican Conference and get this over the finish line.” (Sullivan, 3/26)
Los Angeles Times: Trump Blames GOP Conservative Faction For Blocking Healthcare Bill
The episode ... could prove a harbinger of more attempts by Trump to scapegoat others around him for the debacle that resulted when the president threw his weight for the first time behind a major legislative initiative and it failed. (King, 3/26)
The Wall Street Journal: House Conservatives Are Undeterred After Health-Bill Failure
The head of the most conservative Republican House faction sought to deflect blame Sunday for last week’s stunning collapse of a White House-backed health-care measure, saying the lawmakers hadn’t given up on trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The chairman of the House group also signaled in an ABC interview that the bloc would make its voice a central part of other legislative debates, including an overhaul of the federal tax code. (Bender and Hughes, 3/26)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Trump ‘Disappointed’ By GOP Failure To Pass Health Plan
House Republican leaders have shelved legislation that would repeal and replace Obamacare after failing to muster enough support from within their own party... Speaking from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump warned “Obamacare “is exploding” and blamed Democrats for failing to support the GOP replacement plan. (Williams and Hallerman, 3/24)
The Hill: Report: Trump Didn't Want To Talk Details In Freedom Caucus Meeting
President Trump avoided discussing policy details during a Thursday meeting with the House Freedom Caucus on the ObamaCare repeal bill, Politico reported Saturday. Trump met with members of the ultra-conservative lawmaker group in his push to whip up votes for the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The bill would have fulfilled the GOP's longtime campaign promise to repeal and replace ObamaCare. (Shelbourne, 3/25)
Politico: Back Home, Freedom Caucus’ Meadows Hailed As Anti-Obamacare Hero
House insurgent Mark Meadows embarrassed the White House and forced his fellow Republicans to turn tail on a seven-year pledge to tear down Obamacare. His constituents are throwing him a party. (Cancryn, 3/27)
Politico: Freedom Caucus Member Resigns From Group Over Obamacare Rift
Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) resigned from the House Freedom Caucus over the group's opposition to the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. "I have resigned from the House Freedom Caucus. In order to deliver on the conservative agenda we have promised the American people for eight years, we must come together to find solutions to move this country forward," Poe wrote in a statement. (Bade, 3/26)
The Hill: Freedom Caucus Founding Member: GOP Health Plan Did Not Meet Campaign Promises
A founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus said on Sunday that Republicans should focus on a clean repeal of ObamaCare, arguing the GOP's failed American Health Care Act did not meet Republican campaign promises to the American people. “This is about the American people and what we told them we were going to do,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told “Fox News Sunday.” Conservative lawmakers argued the GOP measures did not cleanly repeal ObamaCare. (Shelbourne, 3/26)
