House leaders press for yes on health-care overhaul as some opposed changes their minds

[still_one]

House leaders and President Trump press for ‘yes’ on health-care overhaul as some Republicans previously opposed start changing their minds

Several House Republicans previously opposed to an overhaul of the nation’s health-care system said Friday they are likely to support the legislation, as GOP leaders said a vote is expected by late afternoon to attempt to deliver the central promise that brought them to power.

While it was still unclear whether President Trump and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) have the votes to muscle the American Health Care Act through the House, their sales pitches appeared to be having some effect, with at least three lawmakers who had previously pledged to vote against the bill indicating that they have changed their minds.

At the heart of the argument: Keeping the Affordable Care Act is a worse outcome than passing a potentially flawed replacement.

“You want to score a touchdown, but sometimes, on the fourth down, you kick a field goal,” said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), the longest-serving member of Congress in the Freedom Caucus. “The choice is yes or no. I’m not going to vote no and keep Obamacare. That’d be a stupid damn vote.”

Earlier Friday, a panel that sets rules for House floor debate approved the revised legislation, sending it to the full House for several hours of debate. Trump, meanwhile, took to Twitter to try to close the deal.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-leaders-prepare-to-vote-friday-on-health-care-reform/2017/03/24/736f1cd6-1081-11e7-9d5a-a83e627dc120_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_housevote715a%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.079e9721e261

I really believe this garbage is going to pass the House today, and I am not that sure it is DOA in the Senate as some say

Oh the Keystone pipeline also got the green light today.

Whatever happens, none of this should be a surprise. We were warned after all

[justhanginon]

1. When push comes to shove, Conservative republicans will

always vote with the party of absolute greed no matter how much it harms their constituency. That is they are in Washington, to fill their pockets and the pockets of their already rich donors. As a side benefit they get to hurt those they consider beneath them and that may be what they enjoy the most..

[fishwax]

2. I'm also worried it will pass today. I'm more optimistic about the Senate, but...

[still_one]

4. People should be concerned. When the Medicare Part D was going through the House, and things were

up in the air, they just changed the rules

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/1/4/821644/-

[titaniumsalute]

3. A yes vote gets them on the Koch and Heritage Shit list

Which is good. If it passes it will be dramatically chaged in the Senate and NEVER will make it through the house again. It will drag on and on and on and then die eventually. So in a way it is good if it passes. They get a quick "We WON" in the House but it will never see the light of day again.

[Tatiana]

5. I hate what the Republicans are doing but there is a lesson to be learned here.

You have a President basically twisting arms (clumsily) and putting pressure on the House Republican leadership to get a bill passed that the majority of them don't want to vote for. You have the executive branch negotiating directly with factions of the Republican caucus (such as the House Freedom Caucus) to get the votes.

If we had worked this hard at single payer (or even the public option), we might have secured it and eliminated the potential for repeal (because the benefits would have been too universal). The Republicans clearly don't have the votes to pass Trumpcare, but they're going to exert as much pressure as they can to force the nays into ayes.