The GOP's second attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare may be heading toward a similar fate. Things were looking good, especially with conservative groups like the Club for Growth and the House Freedom Caucus (who played large parts in derailing the original American Health Care Act) coming on board with the revisions. Yet, a dangerous amount of Republicans are still planning to vote "no," according to the Wall Street Journal.
At least 21 House Republicans have now said they oppose the latest version of the Republican plan to overhaul the health-care system, with an almost equal number publicly undecided on the bill. House GOP leaders can likely lose only 22 GOP votes to pass the bill, because it isn’t expected to receive any Democratic support.
The original AHCA failed to even come up for a vote in March, with conservatives decrying it as Obamacare 2.0. Vice President Mike Pence worked with the Freedom Caucus to make some needed changes, such as allowing states to opt out of costly Obamacare regulations. Along with revision, however, is that it would allow insurers in some states to charge higher premiums to people with pre-existing health conditions, the WSJ explains.
That is a no go for moderate congressmen like Fred Upton (R-MI).
“I’ve supported the practice of not allowing pre-existing illnesses to be discriminated against from the very get-go,” Mr. Upton said Tuesday. “This amendment torpedoes that, and I told leadership that I cannot support this bill with this provision in it.”Should the health care bill fail yet again, we may well expect the White House to pivot toward tax reform.