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U.S. NEWS A3
Friday 10 March 2017
GOP leaders claim momentum as health bill clears hurdles
Folders containing amendments to the GOP’s “Obamacare” replacement bill are spread on a only on condition of ano- miums for customers who
conference table on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 9, 2017, as members of the House nymity to relay the private drop coverage for over
Energy and Commerce Committee worked through the night. discussion. two months
Democrats reject that no- The extra billions Wash-
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) tion, and the entire GOP ington has sent states to
effort. expand the federal-state
“What we have seen is the Medicaid program would
Republicans’ long-feared phase out, and spending on
and job-killing health bill the entire program would
that means less coverage be capped at per-patient
and more cost to American limits. Around $600 billion
people,” said House Minor- in 10-year tax boosts that
ity Leader Nancy Pelosi of Obama’s statute imposed
California. “I don’t think the on wealthy Americans and
president really knows what others to finance his over-
he’s talking about.” haul would be repealed.
The GOP legislation would Insurers could charge older
kill Obama’s requirement customers five times more
that everyone buy insur- than younger ones instead
ance by repealing the tax of the current 3-1 limit but
fines imposed on those would still be required to
who don’t. The bill would include children up to age
replace income-based 26 in family policies, and
subsidies Obama provid- they would be barred from
ed with tax credits based imposing annual or lifetime
more on age, and insurers benefit caps.q
would charge higher pre-
ERICA WERNER that, after seven years of
ALAN FRAM empty promises about un-
Associated Press doing Obama’s law, they
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- might finally be able to
publican leaders drove overcome their own deep
their long-promised legis- divisions and deliver a bill
lation to dismantle Barack to Trump to sign.
Obama’s health care law “This is the closest we will
over its first big hurdles in ever get to repealing and
the House on Thursday and replacing Obamacare,”
claimed fresh momentum Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis-
despite cries of protest consin said at a press brief-
from right, left and center. ing where he arrived in
After grueling all-night shirt-sleeves to deliver a
sessions, the Energy and wonky power-point presen-
Commerce and Ways tation on the GOP bill, part
and Means committees TED talk and part School-
both approved their por- house Rock.
tions of the bill along party- “The time is here. The time
line votes. The legislation, is now. This is the moment.
strongly supported by Presi- And this is the closest this
dent Donald Trump, would will ever happen.”
replace the tax penalties Leaders are aiming for pas-
for the uninsured under sage by the full House in
Obama’s Affordable Care the next couple of weeks,
Act with a conservative and from there the legisla-
blueprint likely to cover tion would go to the Sen-
far fewer people but, Re- ate and, they hope, on
publicans hope, increase to Trump’s desk. The presi-
choice. dent has promised to sign
The vote in Ways and it, declaring over Twitter on
Means came before dawn, Thursday, “We are talking
while the Energy and Com- to many groups and it will
merce meeting lasted end in a beautiful picture!”
past 27 hours as exhausted Yet at the same time the
lawmakers groped for cof- president is leaving himself
fee refills, clean shirts and a political out, privately
showers. telling conservative lead-
Angry Democrats protest- ers that if the whole effort
ed that Republicans were fails, Democrats will ulti-
acting in the dead of night mately shoulder the blame
to rip insurance coverage for the problems that re-
from poor Americans. But main. That’s according to
Republican leaders sound- a participant in the meet-
ed increasingly confident ing Wednesday who spoke
