4 Republican Senators Just Rebelled Against the House Plan to Repeal Obamacare

[babylonsister]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/republican-senators-obamacare-medicaid-expansion-portman-capito-gardner-murkowski


4 Republican Senators Just Rebelled Against the House Plan to Repeal Obamacare
They are fighting to protect Medicaid expansion.

Patrick Caldwell
Mar. 6, 2017 6:31 PM



After a week of keeping their bill under guard by Capitol Police, House Republicans introduced their plan to repeal Obamacare late Monday afternoon. But a band of four Republican senators had already begun revolting in public—even before the language of the new measure had seen the light of day. They sent a letter to their caucus leader Monday afternoon saying that they couldn't support the latest leaked version of the House plans because it doesn't protect people who gained Medicaid under Obamacare.

One of the Affordable Care Act's most effective ways of lowering the number of people who lack health insurance has been a provision that allows those who earn 138 percent or less of the federal poverty level to enroll in Medicaid. The Supreme Court added a level of uncertainty to this implementation by allowing states to decide whether or not they want to opt into that program, but 31 states have accepted Medicaid expansion to date, granting government-covered insurance to about 11 million additional people.

Republican Sens. Rob Portman (Ohio), Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia), Cory Gardner (Colorado), and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday voicing their concerns. "While we support efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and make structural reforms to the Medicaid program," the letter says, "we are concerned that the February 10th draft proposal from the House of Representatives does not provide stability and certainty for individuals and families in Medicaid expansion programs or the necessary flexibility for states."

The four senators all hail from states that have accepted Medicaid expansion, and they made that necessary prerequisite for any plan they'd be willing to consider. "We will not support a plan that does not include stability for Medicaid expansion populations or flexibility for states," the letter states.

This early warning spells serious trouble for Republican hopes of repealing Obamacare. Republicans plan to pass their repeal bill through a budget reconciliation process in which only a simple majority is necessary, so they don't have to worry about a Democratic filibuster. But with just 52 Republican senators (and few possible Democratic defections), Republicans probably can't pass a bill without these four senators. At the same time, the GOP leadership is having to fend off the Freedom Caucus in the House, as this group of Tea Party-supported legislators threaten to withhold support because the bill doesn't go far enough in ditching policies—such as the government offsetting the cost for low-income individuals to buy health insurance—implemented by the ACA. While the four renegade senators sent their letter to McConnell, Sen. Rand Paul was complaining on Twitter that the House proposal wasn't conservative enough.

[pangaia]

1. "While we support efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act....."

?????

[Blue_true]

9. It is strange reasoning, isn't it? They want their cake

only having all their favorite flavors, screw everyone else.

[Cha]

2. They must be hearing from the Peeps back home..

Mahalo, babylonsister

[Ms. Toad]

26. Portman is Ohio - where Kasich bucked the GOP to expand Medicaid. n/t

[JustAnotherGen]

29. +1 n/t

[Cha]

37. Thanks!

[AuntPatsy]

3. obviously they have an older base that requires unending scripts for viagra, assholes...

So now they care...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. Nevada is a Medicaid expansion state that is trending blue. Heller will cave too.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. At this time,

appears Heller is in the repeal Camp. His Office and his mailings are all repeal. Then again,if the price is right,this slug will jump. His Democratic Campaign Opponent is trending ahead of him in surveys,so like I said,the price is right with this Guy.

Typical Tea Bagger,and his sponsors want repeal.

[Blue_true]

14. Who is expected to be Heller's Democratic opponent?

Will that person get a clean primary? Remember there were some big fault lines in Nevada during the Democratic Presidential Primary, as a center-left Democrat, I am concerned about that distracting mess rearing it's head in our primary there and ultimately helping Heller.

[Wellstone ruled]

21. Steve Sisolyak.

He has the war chest at this time. And is a Reid favorite and Harry tends to carry tons of weight.

[titaniumsalute]

15. Four Senators against makes it easier to vote against for other Senators

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. I am pretty tuned into NV politics, not an expert.

I can't see Heller kicking people off of Medicaid.


Toomey will cave too...

[yortsed snacilbuper]

42. "Toomey will cave too..."

Toomey is a teabagger.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

44. He will cave, and McCain and Graham too.

[gratuitous]

5. Well, I'm sure this is something that "just happened"

And it had nothing to do with anyone demonstrating in the streets, or going to town hall meetings, or sending a shit-ton of mail, or calling these Senators' offices, or anything else that common, ordinary citizens have been doing for the last six weeks.

[babylonsister]

7. I hope all that did help rearrange opinions. That means all the

protesting isn't in vain and isn't falling 100% on deaf ears.

[gratuitous]

11. I'm persuaded we have made a difference

But expect any movement by these cravens to be credited to a conscience not previously in evidence or some other nonsense; anything but citizen pressure. Some heavy hitters are very invested in keeping citizens feeling powerless, afraid, and suspicious of each other.

[Blue_true]

16. I think it is more likely the number of people the Medicaid expansion helped.

If that is gotten rid of or rolled back, those four republicans would have their former voters that were hurt by the rollback to fear.

[qwlauren35]

24. I think it was the town halls.

And maybe the calls.

I still don't know how powerful demonstrations are. The calls and town halls hit hard because they are clearly voters, and the constituent base, and can cost someone an election.

I'm REALLY excited that pressure is being put on Republicans to do what's right for their constituents.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

33. We can't stop now

We need to keep up the pressure and not let up.
Plenty of nasty stuff coming.

[Initech]

8. Ah, got to love the sound of republican heads exploding!

[Blue_true]

19. One would hope that their voters wake up and really cause republicans

heads to explode by voting them out of office.

[bucolic_frolic]

10. They're allowed 54 more draft bills

by that time they will have hung themselves

[ProudLib72]

12. Cory Gardner?!

After the pissy letter he sent me about how wonderful Sessions was, I'm surprised he was one of the four.

[Blue_true]

20. Voter retaliation fear? He is up for reelection in 2018, isn't he? nt

[Colorado Liberal]

23. Nope, not until 2020 nt

[Rex]

13. One and a two and a three...

[mountain grammy]

18. Cory Gardner? I'm in shock.

but even that piece of crap knows how well the Medicaid expansion has worked in Colorado.

[theglammistress]

22. Remember, this isn't TrumpCare

It's RyanCare. Or GOPCare. Hang it around the necks of the Republican party. #RyanNoCare #PaulRyanDoesntCare Something. Let's work on the messaging and get it going.

[keithbvadu2]

38. Call it 'Republicare' --- Then they all own it

[LeftInTX]

41. It is Don T. Care

Don'TCare....(as in Donald Trump) please spread the meme!!!!

[Wounded Bear]

25. The demonstrations and town hall appearances are working...

[ffr]

39. You got it. The people speaking out, defiantly against the election results

66 million strong. We are the majority.

[Else You Are Mad]

27. I am guessing that...

More of their constituents now know that the ACA that gave them affordable medical insurance coverage is the same as Obamacare. So, in my opinion, repealing Obamacare is less popular than ever.

[babylonsister]

28. How pathetic is it that they didn't know they were the same.

I guess faux "news" never tried to clear that up.

[Kolesar]

31. Pathetic was the elected Democrats distanced themselves from the ACA during the midterms

We could have been in a better shape in this propaganda war.

[Nwgirl503]

30. Feeling very jaded today

My money is on them being spineless pigs.

[Kolesar]

34. Something shitty will happen

Then suddenly, they will have fifty one votes. It happened on those horrible Cabinet appointments.

[Scalded Nun]

32. In other words...

Holy Shit! I might lose my job!

[meadowlark5]

35. When it comes to Cory Gardner

I'll believe it when I see it. He gas been taking a lot if shit from constituents here in Colorado but he's an unreliable trump lap dog.

[PatrickforO]

36. Here's what I wrote to my representative, a proud member of the 'freedom coalition.'

Dear Representative Buck,

I suppose you are on the 'freedom coalition,' and I'm sure you've heard that part of the GOP repeal and replace law for Obamacare is now in markup in Energy and Commerce and the other part in Ways and Means.

This new abomination will take healthcare away from millions of Americans and penalize those who are weakest among us - the poor and the elderly on fixed incomes. Gosh, Ken, I'm 58 years old and if my insurance gets way more expensive or I lose it because of you I promise I will join many others here in your district and do my very best to see you're defeated soundly next time you come up for reelection.

It is one thing, Representative Buck, to claim to be fiscally conservative, but your party is planning to dramatically bloat the 'defense' budget at the expense of programs that actually HELP me and my family. Trump has appointed people to cabinet positions with the express purpose of tearing those agencies down, beginning with Education and the EPA.

You all should be ashamed of yourselves for even considering a repeal of Obamacare. Too many people have come to depend on it. I'm telling you, it is an electric rail and the GOP 'freedom coalition' will all be crispy critters next time elections come up.

So what does the 'freedom coalition' really mean, Representative Buck? That we are all free to DIE if we don't have the money to buy healthcare on the open market from insurance companies that hold profits above our welfare as patients, and drug companies that will cheerfully allow poor people to DIE if they can't afford huge and needless markups on life-saving medications?

I must wonder, Representative, how you look yourself in the face each morning when you shave? I'm sorry, but what your party contemplates is DESPICABLE.

Sincerely...

[bagelsforbreakfast]

40. Does Shelley Moore Capito being one of them mean Joe Manchin has pressure to vote Democratic?

[roamer65]

43. The House "plan" is DOA in the Senate.