Republicans Land a Punch on Health Care, to Their Own Face

[riversedge]

Republicans Land a Punch on Health Care, to Their Own Face
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/24/us/politics/house-republicans-health-care-paul-ryan.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-2&action=click&contentCollection=Politics&region=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article&_r=0





By JENNIFER STEINHAUER MARCH 24, 2017




Photo
The Freedom Caucus chairman, Mark Meadows of North Carolina, center, in the Capitol on Friday. Credit J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press




WASHINGTON — At the end of the long day, the alliance of conservative ideologues who once shut down the government over President Barack Obama’s health care law could not find the will to repeal it.

Since the Tea Party wave of 2010 that swept House Republicans into power, a raucous, intransigent and loosely aligned group of lawmakers known as the Freedom Caucus — most from heavily Republican districts — has often landed a punch to its own party’s face.

Friday’s defeat of the Republican leadership’s bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act was a return to form, handing an immense defeat to President Trump and embarrassing Speaker Paul D. Ryan in his own House. It also challenged the veracity of their long-held claims that a Republican president was all they needed to get big things accomplished.

The most important question for Republicans now is whether the members of the Freedom Caucus will find themselves newly emboldened in ways that may bring the new president more defeats — or whether Mr. Ryan will do what former Speaker John A. Boehner could not, and find a way to shred their influence for good...............................

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet