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[Tripon]

The House’s debate over repealing ObamaCare has had an unintended effect: Republicans are now defending key elements of President Obama’s health law.

Many House Republicans are now defending ObamaCare’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, in the face of an effort by the conservative House Freedom Caucus to repeal them.

Some Republican lawmakers are also speaking out in favor of ObamaCare’s expansion of Medicaid and its mandates that insurance plans cover services such as mental health and prescription drugs.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), the GOP’s chief deputy whip, said Wednesday that the Freedom Caucus's calls for states to be able to apply for waivers to repeal pre-existing condition protections are “a bridge too far for our members.”

Those ObamaCare protections include what is known as community rating, which prevents insurers from charging higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions, and guaranteed issue, which prevents insurers from outright denying coverage to them.

McHenry spoke in personal terms about the importance of keeping in place those Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions, contained in Title I of the law.

“If you look at the key provisions of Title I, it affects a cross section of our conference based off of their experience and the stories they know from their constituents and their understanding of policy,” McHenry said.

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...-republicans-now-defending-parts-of-obamacare

There is no going back to a period where there is no mandatory health coverage. People are too poor to survive without subsidized health care, and until Congress is able to fix that issue, people aren't going to care about an idealized version of America that conservatives like the Freedom Caucasus seems to want to return America to.

 

[sunshine and gasoline]

Ryan must be going to sleep each night after crying his heart out.

 

[Ac30]

Some Republican lawmakers are also speaking out in favor of ObamaCare's expansion of Medicaid and its mandates that insurance plans cover services such as mental health and prescription drugs.

Eat shit. They were fucking over their own citizens for political gain by denying expansions in red states and now they're going to pretend to care?

 

[Escape Goat]

Who knew this could be so complicated

 

[ezekial45]

If you go outside Paul Ryan's house, you'll hear the muffled blaring of this song from inside the house.

 

[norm9]

Gotta pretend to care if you wanna be reelected by the people you want to screw.

 

[GutsOfThor]

 

[SodiumBenzoate]

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

 

[Strike]

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Just the parts the aren't black.

 

[friskykillface]

Obama won

 

[Marvie_3]

Ryan must be going to sleep each night after crying his heart out.

What heart?

 

[Armaros]

Will Ryan join Reince and start eating his cereal with baileys?

 

[BreezyLimbo]

the feel when republicans have to continue blockading congress, even when it's majority republican

It's like...they always have to be against whatever is trying to be passed. 'TAKE AWAY OBAMACARE!' *Gets majority Republican* 'Uh...don't...take away obamacare?'.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

the feel when republicans have to continue blockading congress, even when it's majority republican

It's like...they always have to be against whatever is trying to be passed. 'TAKE AWAY OBAMACARE!' *Gets majority Republican* 'Uh...don't...take away obamacare?'.

They know how to win, but they do not know how to govern.

 

[Taramoor]

They know how to win, but they do not know how to govern.

Truly, they are the opposite of Democrats in every way.

 

[Aaron Strife]

One of the (many) reasons I wanted Clinton to win was to have another four years safeguarding the Affordable Care Act, so even if she lost in 2020 the political price of repealing it would be too high for Republicans to consider it.

It seems we didn't even need that.

 

[Balphon]

The Republican part doesn't have a singular, coherent position on health care and essentially spent the last seven years complaining that Obamacare wasn't liberal enough.

The fact that the Party is all over the place on the issue now isn't exactly surprising.

 

[2Smashed4U]

Fuck the "Freedom" Caucus

 

[Deleted member 80556]

Lol, it must pain Ryan and other hard right Repubs to know that despite having power in two out of the three branches of power, they still can't get their shit together.

Hell, I almost want them to keep trying the repeal, just so it derails Trump's legislative agenda, and constantly serves as a reminder to the American people that they only want them to fuck them over to help private companies. Almost, but I'd hate if they ever were successful.

 

[Deuce Deuce]

One of the (many) reasons I wanted Clinton to win was to have another four years safeguarding the Affordable Care Act, so even if she lost in 2020 the political price of repealing it would be too high for Republicans to consider it.

It seems we didn't even need that.

Same here. Looks like they did a "good enough" job writing the bill into the fabric of the country.

Fingers crossed still.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

They know how to win, but they do not know how to govern.

Winning is easy, son. Governing's harder.

 

[Imperfected]

So, Trump's at odds with the Freedom Caucus, and Republicans are increasingly at odds with the Freedom Caucus, but Republicans are also at odds with Trump (because he also wants to repeal Obamacare without these provisions in place)?

This is turning into the world's most slovenly and idiotic Royal Rumble.

 

[Ac30]

Fuck the "Freedom" Caucus

On the contrary, I hope they remain steadfast in their idiotic idealism.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Same here. Looks like they did a "good enough" job writing the bill into the fabric of the country.

Fingers crossed still.

For how much shit Obama gets from certain factions on the left for not being liberal enough, he crafted a bill that's basically impossible to repeal without major blowback. The ACA has essentially become another third rail.

There are certainly ways to improve it, even Obama would agree to that (and has proposed several such solutions like a public option), but it was of great importance to ingrain the idea in peoples' heads that health insurance is a right that should be available to everyone. Before Obama and ACA, we didn't have that. Moving the Overton window to the left will be Obama's greatest achievement.

 

[Marvie_3]

Truly, they are the opposite of Democrats in every way.

Sad but true

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

In 20 years, when a Sanders type Democrat is President and pushing single-payer, there will be tea party protests with signs saying "keep government out of my Obamacare."

I promise you.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

Fuck the "Freedom" Caucus

didnt those idiots kind of do America a solid this time around?

 

[old manatee]

didnt those idiots kind of do America a solid this time around?

We're so used to being done wrong that when they do nothing it feels like a favor.

 

[Imperfected]

The great irony is that the GOP put in too much work branding it "Obamacare" to ever really separate the man from the policy. They could be arguing about the Affordable Care Act right now the way they argue about Social Security or Medicare, essentially out of any context of who and how they were created, but they've doomed themselves to forever paying lip-service to the man.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Who knew this could be so complicated

literally no one

 

[Cipherr]

I love how much they are just faceplanting with this. So completely deserved as they struggle to get ALL of the Republicans to cross into flat out evil darth vader levels of sinister. They can't even get their own people to swallow that shit.

 

[theWB27]

It's just funny how they know the majority doesn't want their bullshit, but instead of catering to them they just find ways to fuck over everyone and cater to the few. Their weapon of choice is just lip service and their base laps it up.

 

[Andrew J.]

The pre-existing condition protections have always been the most popular aspect of the ACA, but it's supported by all the law's other parts. The only proven way to keep people from only signing up after getting sick and causing an insurance company death spiral is the individual mandate, the individual mandate is untenable without subsidies and Medicaid expansion, etc.

 

[danm999]

Unsurprising given it was originally a Republican idea.