Some where you know President Obama is smiling and laughing :
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/poli...129486929.html
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/27/politi...ill/index.html
A slew of House conservatives are beginning to publicly oppose a draft of the Republican Obamacare repeal bill that was leaked last week, presenting a serious roadblock to the GOP's increasingly complicated efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
Trump: 'Nobody knew health care could be so complicated'
Trump: 'Nobody knew health care could be so complicated'
Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, told CNN on Monday that he cannot support a draft of the GOP Obamacare repeal bill unless substantial changes are made.
Hours later, Rep. Mark Walker, the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, announced that he, too, could not support the leaked version of the legislation.
By Tuesday morning, others were also openly airing their concerns. As he exited a House conference gathering, GOP Rep. Mark Sanford — the author of an alternative Obamacare repeal and replacement bill — told CNN that he could not support the legislation "in its present form." GOP Rep. David Brat, meanwhile, said that the majority of the Freedom Caucus would vote against the draft bill.
The mounting opposition come as top House Republicans are preparing to unveil legislation to repeal major portions of Obamacare and are struggling to bridge deep divisions within their own conference.
Meadows told CNN that what is unacceptable to him are the refundable tax credits included in the draft of the bill. Those tax credits, the North Carolina congressman said, are nothing short of an "entitlement program."
"What is conservative about a new entitlement program and a new tax increase? And should that be the first thing that the President signs of significance that we sent to the new President?" Meadows said in an interview. "A new Republican president signs a new entitlement and a new tax increase as his first major piece of legislation? I don't know how you support that -- do you?"
The congressman also took issue with the way the tax credits would be given out, arguing that it would make some wealthy individuals eligible.
"So the headline is that the GOP is reducing subsidies to needy individuals when in fact, the growth of the taxpayer-subsidized reimbursements will actually increase. The total dollars that we spend on subsidies will be far greater," he said. "So you can be a millionaire and not have employer-based health care and you're going to get a check from the federal government -- I've got a problem with that."
Asked whether the concerns were widespread within the Freedom Caucus, Meadows said plenty of others share his concerns and would also be willing to vote against the GOP Obamacare repeal bill -- though he declined to predict how many would be willing to draw a line in the sand.
Walker echoed Meadows, saying the draft bill "contains what increasingly appears to be a new health insurance entitlement with a Republican stamp on it."
"The draft legislation, which was leaked last week, risks continuing major Obamacare entitlement expansions and delays any reforms," Walker said in a statement. "It kicks the can down the road in the hope that a future Congress will have the political will and fiscal discipline to reduce spending that this Congress apparently lacks."
Walker said he would encourage other members of the Republican Study Committee to oppose the bill.
House Speaker Paul Ryan tried to downplay the rifts within his own party at a news conference Tuesday morning, insisting that there were no "rival plans" and that the House, Senate and White House are all working together.
"I feel at the end of the day when we get everything done and right, we're going to be unified on this," Ryan said.
And a senior GOP aide reacted with this statement: "Tax credits have long been a part of Republican health care plans, including the one authored by now-Secretary (Tom) Price that had broad support from members of the (Republican Study Committee) and Freedom Caucus."
A draft of the House Republican bill to repeal Obamacare obtained by CNN last week would replace the law's subsidies with less generous tax credits, increase the amount insurers could charge older Americans and more or less eliminate Medicaid for low-income adults.
The refundable tax credit would be given out based on age and range from $2,000 for those under 30 to $4,000 for those between ages 60 and 64.
Obamacare Repeal losing support among conservatives.
