Obamacare repeal vote upends 2018 House landscape
Obamacare repeal vote upends 2018 House landscape
Republicans worry their incumbents will pay for the vote, and signs abound of an energized Democratic base.
By Alex Isenstadt and Gabriel Debenedetti 05/06/17 09:01 AM EDT
This week’s vote to replace Obamacare has scrambled the 2018 House landscape, jeopardizing Republican lawmakers across the country and potentially endangering the party’s longstanding grip on the chamber.
More than a dozen senior Republican strategists, lawmakers, and potential candidates expressed varying degrees of concern over the political implications of the health care push. Some predicted that House members would face a fierce backlash from voters, while others said the party had erred badly in rushing through a bill that lacked broad public support.
The vote, combined with President Donald Trump’s record-low poll numbers and rising public dissatisfaction with how Republicans are wielding power over the federal government, has produced a cauldron of instability for the party, which is holding onto a 24-seat edge in the House. There is also the weight of history: In every midterm election since 2002, the party in the White House has lost congressional seats.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/06/obamacare-repeal-house-2018-238064
