Politics

Key Republicans come around on ObamaCare replacement

A key group of conservative Republicans endorsed the replacement plan for ObamaCare after President Trump agreed to tougher rules on Medicaid.

“One hundred percent of the nos are yeses” Trump said at a meeting with 13 members of the Republican Study Committee.

“I want to let the world know: I am 100 percent in favor,” he added.

To win that support, the White House agreed to let states voluntarily impose work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries and to choose Medicaid block grants as an option.

Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC), the committee chairman, told The Wall Street Journal that the commitments from the president moved members “from undecided, or no, to a positive yes this morning.”

The ObamaCare replacement plan still faces opposition from both moderate Republicans and other conservatives.

But that didn’t stop House Republicans from scheduling a vote for Thursday on the replacement bill.

The leader of the House Freedom Caucus, whose members want to reduce Medicaid funding and have other objections, said the bill won’t pass without even more changes. “They won’t have the votes unless they change it [further],” said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC).

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price also told House Republicans during a closed-door meeting Friday that they’re discussing changes to the proposed new tax credits.

“We need to make sure the tax credits are a closer approximation to the cost of health care insurance in the different age bands, so there could be some adjustments there,” Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas) told The Hill.

But Trump said he’s confident the sides would come together.

“It’s going to be great,” Trump said. “And the people will see that. By the way, it will take a little while because before it all kicks in and welds together, it takes a little while.”