The House GOP is rushing through a newly amended healthcare bill that will still threatens access for those with pre-existing conditions and essential behavioral health benefits! Call1-866-426-2631 to be connected to your House Representative. See below for a list of House GOP reps whose voting status is undecided or unclear.
Sample call script from our colleagues at the Coalition for Whole Health:
“I am a constituent of Representative _____’s and am calling to urge him/her to vote NO on AHCA today.Restricting access to treatment for mental health and substance use disorders would be a national tragedy, as the twin epidemics of suicide and opioid overdose claim over 250 lives every day. These short-sighted policies could leave millions of people without treatment, drive up hospital emergency visits, and devastate families and communities.”
GOP Rushing To Vote on Healthcare Without Analysis of Changes
By Peter Sullivan And Cristina Marcos The Hill May 4, 2017
House Republicans are once again fast-tracking consideration of their ObamaCare replacement bill without knowing the full impact of the legislation they’ll vote on Thursday.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is not expected to have completed its analysis detailing the effects of the latest changes to the legislation overhauling the nation’s healthcare system in time for the Thursday vote.
Leadership’s decision to press ahead with the floor action means lawmakers will be voting on the bill without updated figures from their nonpartisan scorekeeper on how many people would lose coverage under the bill or how much it would cost.
Some lawmakers acknowledged that it would be helpful to have an analysis, known as a “score,” from the CBO, but said they could not wait for it.
When asked why the vote would not wait for the score, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) — the lead sponsor of a new amendment to the bill that might push it over the finish line — said “because I don’t expect it probably for a couple weeks.”
“I wish that we had it, alright?” Upton added. “I wish that we had had it in committee, I said so at the time.”
The lack of a score comes despite years of GOP attacks on Democrats for what Republicans argued was a rushed process that rammed through ObamaCare in 2010.
The latest bill text was posted Wednesday, just one night before the vote.
Upton’s amendment adds $8 billion over five years aimed at helping people with pre-existing conditions afford their premiums in states that choose to repeal ObamaCare protections preventing sick people from being charged exorbitantly high premiums.
Many health policy experts doubt that $8 billion is enough money. And Upton himself said Wednesday that he doesn’t know for sure that it will be.
“Is it enough money? I don’t know,” Upton said. “That’s the question that I asked and was led to believe that $5 billion would be enough, which is why it’s $8 billion.”
He noted that “at some point, this will be scored by CBO,” and said that if the analysis finds there is not enough money, more could be added by the Senate or at another point.
The CBO also has not provided an analysis of the amendment authored by centrist Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) and Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) that lets states apply for waivers from key ObamaCare provisions preventing insurers from charging sick people higher premiums and mandating minimum insurance coverage requirements, so long as high-risk pools are offered.
When asked if there are concerns the process is being rushed without a CBO score and limited time to review late-breaking changes, Meadows said Republicans have waited long enough to fulfill a nearly decade-long campaign promise.
“We’ve been talking about repealing and replacing ObamaCare for seven years. That’s the first time that I’ve had anybody say that we rushed anything,” Meadows said.
At the same time, he conceded, “It’s a valid point.”
The CBO score of the underlying bill gave many moderates pause when it found that 24 million more people would become uninsured under the measure over 10 years.
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) downplayed the notion that lawmakers didn’t have enough time to review the legislative text of the original bill or amendments authored by GOP Reps. Gary Palmer (Ala.), MacArthur and Upton.
“The bill has been out there for a while. I mean, the MacArthur amendment’s pretty short if you want to read it. The Palmer amendment’s pretty short. I assume this amendment that may be added before the final vote with the $8 billion will be short,” Harris, another Freedom Caucus member, said.
“Look, the bottom line is we’re going to deliver to the American public what we said, that premiums are actually going to go down,” he continued.
The Palmer amendment is four pages long; MacArthur’s is eight pages; and Upton’s is three pages. The original underlying bill was unveiled in March.
The lack of a CBO score isn’t the only sign of a markedly rushed process.
House GOP leaders gave themselves flexibility earlier this week to speed up consideration of the bill if they decided to bring it up for a vote.
The House voted along party lines in a Tuesday procedural vote to waive a rule requiring lawmakers to wait a day before considering a measure out of the Rules Committee, which determines how legislation is considered on the floor.
The move, known as “martial law,” is typically reserved for tight deadlines like avoiding an imminent government shutdown.
It’s highly unusual for leaders to invoke the procedure while trying to move legislation that doesn’t face a pressing need for passage, especially for something as far-reaching as healthcare reform.
If the rushed process sounds familiar, that’s because GOP leaders used the same tactics when they tried to bring the bill up for a vote in March.
As with this week, House Republicans voted to invoke martial law to speed up the floor vote. And GOP leaders also posted an amendment that would have repealed ObamaCare’s minimum insurance coverage requirements the night before they planned to vote on it.
GOP leaders ultimately canceled a vote when it became clear the legislation didn’t have the support to pass.
Thursday’s planned vote comes after years of Republicans mocking House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who was the Speaker when ObamaCare passed, for saying, “we have to pass the [health care] bill so that you can find out what’s in it.”
Now, on the eve of the vote on the GOP plan, Pelosi is charging that Republicans are deliberately trying to conceal the impact of their proposal.
“Forcing a vote without a CBO score shows that Republicans are terrified of the public learning the full consequences of their plan to push Americans with pre-existing conditions into the cold,” Pelosi said.
“But tomorrow, House Republicans are going to tattoo this moral monstrosity to their foreheads, and the American people will hold them accountable.”
The Hill’s Whip List: 18 GOP no votes on new ObamaCare replacement bill
House Republicans have an updated bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare, and The Hill has a new whip list.
The updated bill includes an amendment from Reps. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) that would allow states to opt out of key ObamaCare rules, including on minimum coverage requirements and allowing insurers to charge more based on individuals’ health.
Those changes were designed to win over conservatives, and the new legislation has been backed by the House Freedom Caucus and outside groups including the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks.
Centrists, though, expressed concerns over preexisting conditions.
On Wednesday, Rep. Fred Upton drafted a new amendment that would provide $8 billion over five years to help people with preexisting conditions pay for premiums in states that seek waivers.
The question is whether that is enough to bring centrists on board.
A mix of centrists and conservatives objected to the earlier ObamaCare bill, forcing GOP leaders to call off a planned vote. No Democrats are expected to vote for the measure, meaning Republicans can only afford 22 defections.
Below is a list of where key Republicans stand based on the new bill.
The list will be continually updated. Please send updates to mmali@thehill.com
This list was last updated on May 3 at 10:19 p.m.
NO (18)
—Amodei told ABC on Thursday he is still a no.
Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.)— “The MacArthur amendment is an effort to make the AHCA better, but it does not meet my constituents’ threshold for repeal,” the Freedom Caucus member said. Biggs was a no on the first bill.
Rep. Barbara Comstock (Va.) —The centrist Republican told The Hill she is still a no after the Upton Amendment. Comstock is one of Democrats’ top targets in 2018.
Rep. Ryan Costello (Pa.)— Costello told reporters Thursday he was a no.
Rep. Jeff Denham (Calif.)— Denham told The Hill he was a no on Wednesday.
Rep. Charlie Dent (Pa.)— The co-chairman of the centristTuesdayGroup is still a no.
Rep. Dan Donovan (N.Y.)—The freshman lawmakertold The Hill he still plans to vote no after the Upton Amendment.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.)— A centrist, Fitzpatrick is still a no.
—Herrera Beutler, a member of the Tuesday Group, is still a no after the Upton Amendment.
Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.)— Jones, who has bucked GOP leaders on a number of occasions, is still a no.
Rep. Leonard Lance (N.J.)— Lance is still a no.
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (N.J.)— LoBiondo is still voting no despite the changes.
Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.)— Massie, a conservative who is not in the Freedom Caucus, said he is still a no.
Rep. Patrick Meehan (Pa.)— Meehan said the revised bill would raise premiums for those with pre-existing conditions and older Americans.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.)— The centrist Republican from south Florida saidshe is a no even with the Upton Amendment. Clinton won Ros-Lehtinen’s district by nearly 20 points in 2016, but the longtime GOP lawmaker said she will not seek reelection in 2018.
Rep. Chris Smith (N.J.)—Smith told ABC he is still a no. The New Jersey lawmaker is meeting with leaders Thursday.
Rep. Michael Turner (Ohio)— Turner on Thursday told CNN he is still a no.
UNDECIDED/UNCLEAR (52)
—The Freedom Caucus member is reviewing the changes, according to Politico. He was a no in March.
Rep. Brian Babin (Texas)— The Texas lawmaker, a former member of the Freedom Caucus, was yes on the first bill.
Rep. Rob Bishop (Utah)— Bishop was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Rod Blum (Iowa)— Freedom Caucus member was a no on the first bill.
Rep. Mike Coffman (Colo.)— Coffman last week said he vote no “if I had to vote now,” but is back to being undecided.
Rep. Paul Cook (Calif.)—Cook was undecided on the first bill.
— Crawford was a no on the first bill.
Rep. John Culberson (Texas)—Culberson was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Carlos Curbelo (Fla.)— Curbelo on Wednesday tweeted that he told House leaders “fails to sufficiently protect Americans with pre-existing conditions.” A spokesperson said he is not a “hard no” and is reviewing the Upton amendment.
Rep. Warren Davidson (Ohio)— Davidson was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Ron DeSantis (Fla.)— DeSantis was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.)— A centrist, Diaz-Balart voted to advance the first bill in the House Budget Committee but said he had “serious concerns.”
Rep. Jeff Duncan (S.C.)— Duncan, a Freedom Caucus member, was a lean no on the first bill.
Rep. Neal Dunn (Fla.)— Dunn was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Tom Emmer (Minn.)— Emmer was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Ron Estes (Kan.)— Sworn in last week, Estes says he needs to review the changes.
Rep. John Faso (N.Y.)—Faso said he is still undecided and reviewing the changes, including the Upton Amendment.
—The Freedom Caucus member was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Tom Garrett (Va.)— Garrett was a no on the first bill.
Rep. Duncan Hunter (Calif.) — Hunter was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Will Hurd (Texas)— Hurd was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.)— Issa initially declined to share his positionon Wednesday, before tellinga reporter for a San Diego ABC affiliate that he’s “undecided and still reviewing the changes to the bill.”
Rep. Mike Johnson (La.)— Johnson was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. David Joyce (Ohio)— Joyce, formerly a no, saidTuesdayhe is undecided.
Rep. Trent Kelly (Miss.)— Kelly was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Pete King (N.Y.)— King was leaning no on the first bill.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.)— Kinzinger is undecided. He was a yes on the earlier bill.
Rep. Steve Knight (Calif.)— Knight was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. David Kustoff (Tenn.)— Kustoff was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Raúl Labrador (Idaho)— The Freedom Caucus member was a no on the first bill.
Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.)— LaHood is undecided on the bill.
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (Calif.)— LaMalfa was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Mia Love (Utah)—Love was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Brian Mast (Fla.)— Mast told CNN he is undecided on the new bill. Mast was a lean yes on the first bill.
Rep. Michael McCaul (Texas)— McCaul was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Erik Paulsen (Minn.)— Paulsen is undecided on the revised bill.
Rep. Steve Pearce (N.M.)— Pearce was a lean no on the first bill.
Rep. Scott Perry (Pa.)— Perry was a lean no on the first bill.
Rep. Bruce Poliquin (Maine)— Poliquin, a centrist, was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Ted Poe (Texas)— Poe was a yes on the first bill.
Rep. Bill Posey (Fla.)— Posey was a no on the first bill.
Rep. Dave Reichert (Wash.)— “I’m not there yet,” Reichert said he told Trump on the new bill.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.)— Rohrabacher was undecided on the first bill.
Rep. Ed Royce (Calif.) —The House Foreign Affairs chairman is undecided and has serious concerns with the revised bill, a spokesperson told The Hill.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.)— A member of theTuesdayGroup, Stefanik is still undecided.
Rep. Glenn Thompson (Pa.)— Thompson was a no on the first bill.
Rep. David Valadao (Calif.)—Valadao is still undecided.
Rep. Randy Weber (Texas)— The Freedom Caucus member was undecided on the first bill.
— Wittman was a no on the first bill.
— Yoder is undecided on the revised bill.
Rep. Don Young (Alaska)— Young was a lean no on the first bill. He said he is undecided on the new bill.
YES/LEAN YES (26)
Rep. Ralph Abraham (La.) —Abraham also backed the first bill.
Rep. Dave Brat (Va.)— The Freedom Caucus member is now a yes.
Rep. Mo Brooks (Ala.)— The Freedom Caucus member was a no, but is now supports the revised bill.
Rep. Ken Buck (Colo.)—Buck is still a yes on the new bill.
Rep. Ted Budd (N.C.)— In a late Wednesday statement, Budd said he’s “proud to support the American Health Care Act,” saying Thursday’s vote “marks the beginning of the end of Obamacare as we know it.”
Rep. Steve Chabot (Ohio)— The chairman of the House Small Business Committee told The Hill he is a yes.
Rep. Chris Collins (N.Y.)— Collins, an early Trump supporter, is a yes.
Rep. Rodney Davis (Ill.)— GOP Whip Team member tells The Hill he will vote for the new bill.
Rep. Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.) —The Freedom Caucus member says he’ll support the bill now with the changes. He was a no in March.
— The Freedom Caucus member was a no on the first bill but is backing the revised legislation.
Rep. Paul Gosar (Ariz.)—Gosar was undecided on the first bill but is now voting yes.
Rep. Andy Harris (Md.)— The Freedom Caucus member was a no on the first bill, but told The Hill he is now voting yes.
Rep. Jody Hice (Ga.)— Hice, a Freedom Caucus member, is a yes on the revised bill. In a statement, he said he supported the bill, but added, “the battle for a full repeal is not over.”
Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio)— Jordan, a former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, is now a yes. “It is our best chance to pass a bill through the House that will actually reduce the cost of health insurance for everyday Americans,” he saidWednesday.
Rep. Steve King (Iowa) —King on Wednesday said he was leaning yes on the new bill because of changes that would be made through an amendment from Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.). Just last week, he had been undecided because of the MacArthur amendment.
Rep. Billy Long (Mo.)— Long, who was opposed, is now supporting the bill after an amendment from Rep. Fred Upton on preexisting conditions.
Rep. Tom MacArthur (N.J.)— The leader of the centristTuesdayGroup negotiated the changes to the bill.
Rep. Mark Meadows (N.C.)— The leader of the House Freedom Caucus negotiated the changes with MacArthur.
Rep. Tom Reed (N.Y.)— Reed is now a lean yes. He voted the first bill out of the Ways and Means Committee.
Rep. Mark Sanford (S.C.)— Sanford, a member of the Freedom Caucus, flipped to yes from no after the changes.
Rep. Fred Upton (Mich.)— The former Energy and Commerce chairman is supporting the bill after drafting an amendment to address concerns over preexisting conditions. Upton, who previously opposed the bill, announced the change after a meeting Wednesday with President Trump.
Rep. Jackie Walorski (Ind.)— GOP Whip team member is a “yes.”
Rep. Mimi Walters (Calif.)— Walters told the Los Angeles Times she is still a yes.
Rep. Daniel Webster (Fla.)— Webster told The Hill he is now a yes on Wednesday night.
Rep. Brad Wenstrup (Ohio)—Wenstrup was undecided on the first bill but told The Hill he is now a yes.
Rep. Ted Yoho (Fla.)—Yoho, a Freedom Caucus member, told
Rep. David Young (Iowa)— Young is a co-sponsor of the Upton amendment and appears to be moving closer to voting yes on the bill.