Why are the GOP’ers rushing the AHCA vote? There’s very little (if any) bipartisan support and the GOP is split on the deal even though they’ve made changes (too which most of those changes sound good). Is it because of the impending budget battle or because they’ve got another long Easter break schedule (House is only working 4 days in April) and they don’t want to face anymore constituent backlash – PB/TK
With health-care vote, Republicans seek to prove they can get things done – Francine Kiefer March 21 2017
On Tuesday morning, President Trump came to the basement conference room of House Republicans to do what he was supposedly born to do: Seal the deal. In this case, that meant lining up enough House votes to pass the GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on Thursday.
The closer-in-chief talked up the huge opportunity to deliver on a major promise to voters. He also pointed to the political cost of failure to deliver – singling out Rep. Mark Meadows, the leader of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus. The North Carolinian opposes the GOP health-care bill.
Mr. Trump’s involvement has intensified as the House nears its do-or-die vote on the American Health Care Act, the Republican effort to replace Obamacare. Last week, Trump invited more than a dozen conservatives to the White House, worked out a compromise with them, then proudly announced they had all flipped to “yes” votes.
Compromise is not exactly what House Republicans are known for. But it will be necessary if they are to pass their first big legislative test as a governing party this week. While the outcome is still up in the air, the “party of no” is trying mightily to prove that it can get things done, with leaders urging members to back the bill, even if they don’t get everything they want.
“They’ve been in blocking mode. I think they are starting to learn that they have to govern,” says John Feehery, spokesman for Republican Dennis Hastert of Illinois when he was speaker during the George W. Bush presidency.
Continue to csmonitor.com article: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2017/0321/With-health-care-vote-Republicans-seek-to-prove-they-can-get-things-done
