Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY 1 MAART, 2017

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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 1 March 2017
Conservatives rebel on health care, and GOP looks to Trump

ERICA WERNER Senate Majority Leader
ALAN FRAM Mitch McConnell of Ken-
Associated Press tucky summoned Re-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- publicans to a meeting
publicans confronted a Wednesday afternoon to
conservative rebellion in hash things out.
their own party Tuesday “The goal is for the admin-
over their long-promised istration, the House and the
plans to repeal and re- Senate to be in the same
place the health care law, place,” he said on health
and beseeched President care. “We’re not there yet.”
Donald Trump to settle the Health care is far from the
dispute. only issue dividing Republi-
“He’s the leader on this is- cans. Plans to overhaul the
sue right now; he’s the one tax code have them tied in
that’s got to hold us to- knots, and senior lawmak-
gether,” said Rep. Dennis ers are busy throwing cold
Ross of Florida as he left a water on Trump’s budget
meeting during which he proposal, which was made
said Republican leaders House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., joined by, from left, Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Mich., House Majority public in broad outlines on
urged the rank-and-file to Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chair of the House Monday. The budget en-
“’stay strong’” on the issue Republican Conference, meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, visions a huge $54 billion
2017. A month into the new administration, the GOP is discovering the difficulties of making good
and told them: “’Now is not on its promises on repealing Obama’s health care law, and other issues. House Speaker Paul Ryan surge in U.S. military spend-
the time to back down.” says he isn’t frustrated though on Trump’s lack of detailed direction, saying “I see him as more of ing while slashing domes-
The pep talk from leader- a chairman.” tic programs and foreign
ship came amid signs of se- (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) aid.q
rious trouble for the emerg-
ing House GOP health Texas. “That’s how he can
care plan even before leg- be helpful.”
islation is officially released. House Speaker Paul Ryan
Conservatives are object- of Wisconsin sought to put
ing to new tax credits that a positive face on the divi-
would help consumers buy sions.
health care, arguing they “I feel at the end of the day
amount to a costly new when we get everything
entitlement. done and right, we’re go-
Influential House conser- ing to be unified,” he said.
vatives say there’s no way For now, most evidence is
the approach can pass to the contrary.
the House. After a recess week filled
The dispute comes a with raucous town hall
month into Trump’s presi- meetings, lawmakers’ re-
dency, and seven years turn to the Capitol this
after the Affordable Care week immediately put
Act passed a Democratic- deep divisions on display.
controlled Congress with The two leading conserva-
Barack Obama in the tive groups in the House
White House. Now the Re- both announced their op-
publicans are in charge of position to House lead-
the White House and Con- ership health care plans
gress. Yet, having spent based on a leaked draft
all those intervening years and reports that the bill
promising to uproot the would cost more than ex-
law and replace it with pected while covering
something better, they find fewer people than the Af-
themselves flailing and di- fordable Care Act.
vided at the moment of And three key conservative
truth. Most Republicans senators, Mike Lee of Utah,
and aides professed to Rand Paul of Kentucky and
have little insight into what Ted Cruz of Texas, added
Trump would say in his their voices in opposition,
speech to Congress Tues- too, announcing that they
day night, and to what ex- will resist “Obamacare
tent he would endorse their Lite” and “accept noth-
plan, though several all but ing less than full repeal of
begged him to do so. Obamacare.”
“What the president can “I think we have the votes
say is that the plan that now to tell the leadership
gets presented to the con- that this is what we want to
ference is the one you do,” Paul said on a confer-
need to vote ‘yes’ on,” ence call with House con-
said GOP Rep. Bill Flores of servative leaders Tuesday.