Tag: Republican Congress

Behind closed doors, Republican lawmakers fret about how to repeal Obamacare

The following article by Mike DeBonis was posted on the Washington Post website January 27, 2017:

President Trump, accompanied by Vice President Pence, center, shakes hands with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) on Thursday at a Republican congressional retreat. (Matt Rourke/AP)

PHILADELPHIA — Republican lawmakers aired sharp concerns about their party’s quick push to repeal the Affordable Care Act at a closed-door meeting Thursday, according to a recording of the session obtained by The Washington Post.

The recording reveals a GOP that appears to be filled with doubts about how to make good on a long-standing promise to get rid of Obamacare without explicit guidance from President Trump or his administration. The thorny issues lawmakers grapple with on the tape — including who may end up either losing coverage or paying more under a revamped system — highlight the financial and political challenges that flow from upending the current law. Continue reading “Behind closed doors, Republican lawmakers fret about how to repeal Obamacare”

Fresh cracks appear in Trump’s relationship with conservatives in Congress

The following article by Jame sHohmann and Breanne Deppisch was posted on the Washington Post website January 27, 2017:

John McCain and Lindsey Graham read the newspaper yesterday as they wait for President Trump to speak at the annual congressional GOP retreat in Philadelphia. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)</p>

John McCain and Lindsey Graham read the newspaper yesterday as they wait for President Trump to speak at the annual congressional GOP retreat in Philadelphia. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

THE BIG IDEA: Tensions emerged underneath the bonhomie at the Republican retreat in Philadelphia.

Will Donald Trump coopt conservatives on Capitol Hill, or will he be coopted? This tug of war will be one of the most important storylines of 2017, and after a week of caving to the new president, there were glimmers yesterday that at least some principled conservatives in Congress will assert themselves after all.

The differences appeared on two issues that are definitional to modern conservatism: spending and trade. Continue reading “Fresh cracks appear in Trump’s relationship with conservatives in Congress”

The Republicans’ Plan for Medicaid: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

The following post by Maura Calsyn and Thomas Huelskoetter was posted on the Center for American Progress’ website January 12, 2017:

Elevators close on Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) as he arrives at Trump Tower in New York on November 16, 2016. AP/Carolyn Kaster

President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans in the U.S. Congress are poised to dismantle the Medicaid program, which provides millions of Americans with a health care safety net. First, they plan to repeal key parts of the Affordable Care Act, or ACA—including the law’s Medicaid expansion—through the budget reconciliation process without yet offering any replacement plan. Second, congressional plans to drastically restructure the Medicaid program will make coverage less secure for those who remain enrolled in the program. Continue reading “The Republicans’ Plan for Medicaid: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”

A day of chaos at the Capitol as House Republicans back down on ethics changes

 

The following article by Robert Costa, Mike DeBonis and Philip Rucker was posted on the Washington Post website January 3, 2017:

A day of pageantry to open the 115th Congress and usher in a new period of Republican governance was overtaken Tuesday by an embarrassing reversal on ethics oversight, with the GOP gripped by internal division and many lawmakers seeking to shield themselves from extensive scrutiny.

The 19 hours of tumult was set in motion the night before behind closed doors at the Longworth House Office Building, where Republican lawmakers decided over the objections of Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) to amend House rules to effectively gut the independent Office of Congressional Ethics. Continue reading “A day of chaos at the Capitol as House Republicans back down on ethics changes”