House Speaker Paul Ryan, intent on uniting Republicans on the American Health Care Act, gave a PowerPoint presentation on Capitol Hill on Thursday defending the bill, sleeves rolled up and all.
The process, Ryan reiterated, will be rolled out in three phases. He offered specific goals, explaining that they aim to provide states federal funding to help them set up risk pools and will “directly support” people with preexisting conditions.
The speaker shared a few personal stories to indicate how much health care has changed in the past decade or so. He had good reviews for the Lasik surgery he got in 2000, but lamented how much more expensive it’s become, thanks in part to Obamacare.
Some conservatives remain unconvinced that Ryan’s bill will address these concerns, some even calling it "Obamacare lite." Many of the bill's critics reside in the House Freedom Caucus, which has called for Congress to vote instead on the full repeal bill they voted upon in 2015.
Ryan insisted that “reconciliation has certain limits” because some matters, like selling insurance across state lines, does not pertain to budgetary issues, and urged his skeptical colleagues to get on board.
“This is the closest we will ever get to repealing and replacing Obamacare,” he concluded.
Speaker Paul Ryan breaks down the Republican's approach to repealing and replacing Obamacare https://t.co/69GPq3GeZK https://t.co/ybsCED27pZ
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 9, 2017
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