President Trump escalated his offensive against congressional conservatives who oppose the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare on Thursday as party leaders signal they want to take another shot at healthcare reform.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus, the congressional conservative group that has been the target of most of Trump's barbs, pushed back by emphasizing how ready they were to compromise to get a healthcare bill that lowers insurance premiums and fulfills the party's campaign promises. Some believe they are taking the blame for other Republicans' reluctance to repeal Obamacare.
Two leaders of the Freedom Caucus told the Washington Examiner that repealing two Obamacare mandates, Essential Health Benefits and community rating, "would bring the vast majority" of their members "to a yes" on a healthcare bill.
"We're asking for a little over 15 percent of the Obamacare mandates to be repealed," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C. "We can't get to yes with that?" He pointed out that Republicans had campaigned on repealing all 12 of these mandates.
"All we're trying to do is fix the legislation," said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
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01.16.2025