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U.S. NEWS A3
Thursday 9 March 2017
Ryan pushes for unity as House panels debate GOP health bill
House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. speaks during a news conference at the Republican National Underscoring Trump’s po- who drop coverage for
Committee Headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 8, 2017, as the GOP tential impact, Energy over two months
works on its long-awaited plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. and Commerce Chairman The extra billions Wash-
Greg Walden, R-Ore., said ington has sent states to
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) of GOP holdouts, “A lot of expand the federal-state
them, they maybe haven’t Medicaid program would
felt the inertia that comes begin ending in 2020, and
with Air Force One landing spending on the entire pro-
in their district.” gram would be capped at
The legislation would de- per-patient limits. Around
fang Obama’s require- $600 billion in 10-year tax
ment that everyone buy boosts that Obama’s stat-
insurance — a provision ute imposed on wealthy
deeply disliked by Repub- Americans and others
licans — by repealing the to finance his overhaul
tax fines imposed on those would be repealed. Insur-
who don’t. That’s a stick ers could charge older
aimed at pressing healthy customers five times more
people to purchase poli- than younger ones instead
cies. The bill would replace of the current 3-1 limit, but
income-based subsidies would still be required to
Obama provided with tax include children up to age
credits based more on 26 in family policies, and
age, and insurers would they would be barred from
charge 30 percent higher imposing annual or lifetime
premiums for customers benefit caps.q
Associated Press upheaval should snow-
WASHINGTON (AP) — House ball and crush the legisla-
Speaker Paul Ryan labored tion, it would be a shatter-
to rally divided fellow Re- ing defeat for Trump and
publicans behind their the GOP, so leaders were
high-stakes drive to over- hoping passage by both
haul the nation’s health House committees this
care system Wednesday, week would bolster them
praising his party’s leg- with momentum. Just as
islation as “what good, ominous as GOP unrest
conservative health care was hostility from three or-
reform looks like” as law- ganizations instrumental
makers cast Congress’ first in the 2010 enactment of
votes. Republican leaders Obama’s overhaul: The
wanted to push their mea- American Medical As-
sure through two House sociation, the American
committees by week’s end Hospital Association and
— Ways and Means, and AARP, the nation’s largest
Energy and Commerce. advocacy group for older
But they hit a torrent of re- people. In words aimed at
sistance from Democrats his own recalcitrant col-
who oppose the seven- leagues, Ryan, R-Wis., de-
year GOP effort to unravel clared the legislation “is
former President Barack bold and it is long over-
Obama’s health care law. due. And it is us fulfilling our
Outnumbered Democrats promises.” The last was a
used the panels’ sessions nod to campaign pledges
for political messaging by Trump and many GOP
Wednesday, futilely offer- congressional candidates.
ing amendments aimed at There were signs of growing
preventing the bill from rais- White House engagement.
ing deficits, kicking people A day after Trump pledged
off coverage or boosting his backing to House GOP
consumer’s out-of-pocket vote counters, conserva-
costs. They even tried, un- tives who’d met late Tues-
successfully, to insert lan- day with White House bud-
guage pressuring President get chief Mick Mulvaney
Donald Trump to release his flashed optimism that the
income tax returns. bill could be reworked. Rep.
The pivotal challenge for Trent Franks, R-Ariz., told re-
Republican leaders was porters that Mulvaney said
coming not from Demo- that “essentially whatever
crats but from rebellion in the Congress could do to
their own ranks and po- improve the bill, that the
tent outside groups. If that White House was open.”
