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March 24, 2017 11:09 AM UTC

Trumpcare is Dead

  • 72 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

This post will be updated throughout the day as new information becomes available. 

 

UPDATE 3:10 pm: President Trump is blaming Democrats for the failure of Trumpcare. Nevermind that Republicans could have passed the legislation without a single Democratic vote.

—–

UPDATE 2:00 pm: Republicans have pulled the bill from consideration. Trumpcare is dead. As the Washington Post reports:

House Republican leaders abruptly pulled a rewrite of the nation’s health-care system from consideration on Friday, a dramatic acknowledgment that they are so far unable to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“We just pulled it,” President Trump told The Washington Post in a telephone interview.

In a news conference shortly after the decision, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) conceded that his party “came up short.”

The decision came a day after Trump delivered an ultimatum to lawmakers — and represented multiple failures for the new president and Ryan.

—–

UPDATE 11:19 am: House Speaker Paul Ryan has informed President Trump that Republicans do NOT have the votes to pass Trumpcare. From the New York Times:

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, facing a revolt among conservative and moderate Republicans, rushed to the White House Friday afternoon to inform President Trump he did not have the votes to pass legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act and to decide whether to pull the bill from consideration.

The president and the speaker faced the humiliating prospect of a major defeat on legislation promised for seven years, since the landmark health legislation was signed into law. President Trump had demanded a vote regardless, which has been scheduled for Friday afternoon. But House leaders were leaning against such a public loss.

—–

UPDATE 9:52 am: Congressman Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) is a “YES” vote. No surprise here, but confirmation from Brandon Rittiman at 9News:

—–

UPDATE 9:31 am: Here’s a comprehensive look at the vote wrangling taking place in the House. In Colorado’s Congressional delegation, only Rep. Ken Buck (R-Greeley) is considered a potential “NO” vote.

Congressman Scott Tipton (R-Cortez) is pretending that he is still undecided on the bill, but is doing everything he can to avoid media questions on the topic.

—–

President Trump issued an “Art of the Deal” ultimatum late Thursday on Trumpcare, urging House Republicans to put their healthcare plan to a vote one day after punting because the caucus didn’t think it had the votes for passage. As the Washington Post explains:

The stakes are higher, but once again Trump is playing the take-it-or-leave-it game. He sent his chief of staff, chief strategist and the OMB director to the Capitol last night to say that if the House does not pass the repeal-and-replace bill today, as it stands, he is going to leave Obamacare in place as the law of the land and drop the issue. Mick Mulvaney, who co-founded the Freedom Caucus, told his former colleagues last night: “The president needs this. … If for any reason it (goes) down, we’re just going to move forward with additional parts of his agenda.” White House press secretary Sean Spicer went on Fox News to echo him: “At the end of the day, this is the only train leaving the station that’s going to repeal Obamacare.”

Trump, who knows this is a high-risk gamble, is following through on his campaign promise to bring a businessman’s approach to government. Today offers a big test of how that will work out.

Rand Paul, who has been highly critical of the House legislation, brought copies of “The Art of the Deal” with him to a meeting with the Freedom Caucus last week. He urged members to brush up on Trump’s tactics. The Kentucky senator even brought a poster with a quote from a chapter on how to “use your leverage.” “The worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it,” Trump wrote. “That makes the other guy smell blood, and then you’re dead.”

Republicans are trying to push through a Trumpcare vote today by promising a host of changes to both moderates and far-right conservative groups such as the Freedom Caucus. Concessions may include eliminating federal requirements for comprehensive coverage and scrapping the requirement that insurers accept pre-existing conditions; both proposals would be hugely unpopular with a majority of Americans, but Republicans seem to be weighing whether or not it is more politically-damaging to do nothing at all than it is to approve a terrible piece of legislation.

Most news outlets are reporting that a potential vote is too close to call. As of Thursday afternoon, anywhere from 30-40 Republicans were known to oppose Trumpcare; the legislation cannot pass if the House caucus can’t prevent more than 22 Republicans from voting “NO.”

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72 thoughts on “Trumpcare is Dead”

  1. I wonder if after the vote fails, Trump will claim victory:

    "We had a vote to repeal Obama care, just as I promised. And at the end of the day, nobody lost their health care insurance, just as I promised."

     

      1. True that. I go back and forth between letting Republicans show working Americans just how badly they want to screw them and fighting like hell to stop Republicans from screwing working Americans. 

        1. Ultimately…insurance company profits are the battleground here. If insurance company profits were secondary and subservient to human health, there would be enough money to cover and treat every citizen of this country.

          Health care, our penal system, our educational system, and so many other aspects of life must be removed from the world of profit. We know what happens to the human condition when the economic aristocracy of the day, royal or oligarchical, takes over the determination of public policy…it was called the "Gilded Age" by Mark Twain…

          However, the Gilded Age was also an era of abject poverty and inequality as millions of immigrants—many from impoverished European nations—poured into the United States, and the high concentration of wealth became more visible and contentious…

          from Wikipedia

          The world economy is shifting from rules made by nation/states to rules made for the benefit of multinational corporations. Humanity is caught in the crossfire between nations and corporations and it is only going to get uglier…

          A vibrant and growing middle class is anathema to the Lords of Wall St. and the Captains of Industry. They need the United States to become a country with workers who will compete with workers in Bolivia and Bengladesh for wages.
          In order to inflict such pain on the people, they must subvert our democracy….
          They are getting us there.

          Fear, and the resultant nationalism, is a very predictable result.

      2. Not to worry.  Trump is going to have a lot more changes to blow it before 2020. 

        On the plus side, poor people won't be whipped just yet.  Every day that health care is delivered to people who need it is a win for Democrats and everyone else who values a healthy populous.

    2. I think it is all the American people who have been using our health care system who want to live with it.  Part of the stink by Republicans is that they would have stabbed Trump voters in the back, throat, groin, heart and every other organ that could fail by transferring their health care dollars to the rich with no significant reduction in the deficit.

  3. Sounds like Ryan has schlepped on over to the Orange grove to let the boss know they don't have the votes.  I thought Coffman's whole thing was to not take a position on this stuff, unless he had to.  Now he's got a turd he has to polish before 2018, and he probably won't even win the vote.

    Don't expect any town halls soon, I'm guessing.

  4. So if it doesn't make it out of the House, Cory Gardner is spared the ordeal of having to cast a vote on this. He sure does lead a charmed life…..

    1. I think we can safely assume if he was still representing the 51st state he would have been a good lieutenant for the Speaker and cast a yes vote.  

      You don't suppose (if the Hatriots don't burn the place down after today) that they could channel their energies towards fixing what needs to be fixed?!?  

        2. I know, right? (to quote my GenX son)….

          These hounds don't like to give up. They will lick their wounds, go back to their lobbyists for comfort, and hire some new strategists…..who were trained by the old strategists.cheeky

        3. Undermining the ACA will be a more risky strategy now because folks who depend on it will be looking for this kind of sabotage and Repubs are very good at knowing what their base wants.  It would be so much simpler to fix the defects and take credit it for it.

          1. But, but, but….they've missed their window of opportunity to defund Planned Parenthood.  SAD!

            "THE IRONY"is that you promised us a MASTER NEGOTIATOR like yourself could close the deal!

      2. I had to look up Hatriots Michael.  Sarah Pallin was definitely a Hatriot.  Amazing she didn't get a cabinet position.  Not rich enough I guess.

  5. Excellent.  The best of all worlds:  This horrible bill is defeated, yet Coffman is on record supporting a bill that massively cuts Medicaid while giving equally massive tax cuts to those earning over $250,000. 

    Standing up to Trump and not a "typical" GOPer, Coffman?  I think not.

        1. Coffman's enthusiasm for depriving 24 million Americans of health care to give his benefactors a $600 billion tax refund might sway just a few voters in his district.

          Mikey "try to find me" Coffman has finally jumped the shark with this one devil

    1. I think you meant to say "wouldn't."  And the Dems track record against Coffman is pretty poor. Recall Morgan Carroll as the next "sure thing?"

      Regardless, I'm not ready to think about elections in 19 months. Getting older and got a lot of living to do between now and then.

      1. Agreed.  We should be concentrating on what wall paper to use on that big beautiful wall.  Stephen Colbert had a crack team of experts on and they were estimating 27 million rolls.  Some Chinese wallpaper printing company is going to make a killing.

      1. You got it Pols! Thank you Freedom Caucus for standing up to the swamp people and killing Obama Care Lite. 

        It won't take long for it to sink in on the Democrats that they missed a big opportunity to get off the hook. Followers of Nancy will regret it.  While the media will do all they can to lay the blame on the Republicans it is easily  turned around on the Dems.

        "RepealNorReplace", the beatings will continue until morale improves, great policy care of ColoradoPol.

         

        1. Off the hook? For standing for a health care system that could serve everyone if not for the Hatriots masquerading as Patriots?  I generally give you some breadth because of your military service – but even that isn't enough to cover up the stench that comes from the vast majority of your posts lately (dog posts excluded – we have an incredible German Sheperd in our family).  

          The majority of Americans understand who is trying to kill whom here. Voyageur may disagree here – but Drumpf has plenty of opportunities between now and 2020 to implode.  He can't beat his way out of a wet paper sack on immigration EO's; his big beautiful wall? Not so fast.  TrumpCare™? Umm…waiter, check please? I'll throw in Russia for good measure.  SAD!!  

          He may, however, learn something from today (not counting on it) and figure out that he could deliver on his infrastructure promise by bringing the Dems and moderate Repubs together (and keeps the Freedumb Caucus out of the room).  He's vengeful enough that he might do it after they killed his 'very, very good' bill today.  

          The FC should prepare itself for the wrath of Cheetolini.  

          1. Michael,

            Those who have Obama Care have doctor insurance, not health care. As long as a visit to the Dr and a prescription takes care of the problem it's good. If you have to have your gallbladder taken out, your pretty much screwed because of the $5 – $10 thousand dollar deductible. I don't have $10,000 laying around, do you?

            Of course the issue is how does a person who doesn't earn a sufficient income pay for health care? They can't, it must come from taxpayers. 

            Have you notice all the urgent care and ER offices opening up? It's good to be "Big Hospital". Once the government is the payer the price for services goes up. 

            It is doubtful that the government will ever establish national freight insurance, or national florist insurance or national hotel insurance, or national tax preparer insurance. All things people need. The difference is these services are affordable. 

            Health care cost will soon squeeze out a larger share of disposable income. Not a good thing for the Nation.

            1. Except that the average deductible for an individual on the ACA is $6,000. For a family, the average deductible and out of pocket cost can be $12,000. But that is coverage for at least 2 individuals.

              The current ACA is imperfect – insurers can obviously still raise costs . Medicare for All  / Single Payer plan is the most cost effective solution for health care, period. It's why most other industrialized countries have a single payer system. I'm sure that this would not be a solution our trolls would support.

            2. I certainly do have $10,000 — and a lot more– in an emergency fund, pear.  I'd bet that same $10,Ooo that you do too.  Obviously, not laying around but in IRA, stock and other accounts.  Not to mention a healthy balance in a heloc I can tap at 4 percent.  So , yeah, the trade of low premiums and major medical might make sense for me, were I not in that socialist paradise known as medicare.

            3. I'll try to follow your logic (for fun).  So, you're glad that the Freedumb Caucus killed TrumpCare™, referring to it as 'ObamaCare Lite' (a product that would have effectively ended any health care opportunities for 24 million people with no 'Replace' mechanism) yet you lament over the fact that the deductibles and out-of-pockets via ObamaCare are too high as your reason. (we can both agree there is a market failure.  We'd disagree as to the cause).  

              Health insurance companies remind me of the energy companies we fought a decade ago: howls that our grid would collapse and the poor people would bear the burden.  Yet when faced with mandated standards, guess what happened? Prices fell, consumers (and the environment) won.  A decade later we're still fighting the Fossilonians over the standards – even though they have created hundreds of thousands of new jobs and benefitted our environment. And akin to preventive health care, a dollar spent on prevention is worth 10x that number to society. Like small children they will pout, throw hissyfits, etc….yet when they all realize they have to play the game – they'll do it.  

              All it takes is a political spine (as rare as a small deductible). 

              That's why most of us scoff at the idea that people like The Donald think government needs to run like a business.  It isn't the function of business to run like government and vice-versa.  It's the function of government to establish standards to meet the general welfare needs of its citizens; it's up to business to find a way to compete under those standards.  Only our government has the strength to mandate those basic standards – but not for them being a wholly-owned subsidiary of the insurance industry. 

              BTW, farmers can't earn sufficient dollars growing their commodity crops, thus the government supplies a safety net (hint: that comes from taxpayers). All the strawman examples you provide about 'other' national insurance are utter bullshit – but you knew that.  

              I can buy insurance when I book a ticket for a room, but I'm not going to go bankrupt if I book a room and for some reason can't use it.  Not the case with a health catastrophe.  Freight insurance?  Already exists through private insurers, yet even those are insured through various government programs. Taxpayer preparer insurance? Places like H&R Block already have a product to protect your filing if you use them and you end up in an audit – they do it because there is a business case for doing so.  Florist insurance? I don't even know what that means – but you can buy government-subsidized multi-peril insurance for some flower production.    

              But I digress. 

              Can you share with our fellow polsters whether you benefit from the government military insurance, TriCare? 

        2. So, despite his bluster, tough talk, and posturing, your Cheeto Messiah planned to have the FC bend him over the desk in the Oval Office like Monica Lewinsky?  

          I wonder if his plan to defeat ISIS will have the same success?

        3. Let me get this straight. You think the public will blame the Democrats for the failure of the Republican president and the Republican majorities in the House and Senate to pass a health care bill that would have dismantled the health care program they support. I think you need to rethink the logic behind your point of view.

        4. Serious question, Plentiful Poop: Have you ever had an original thought a day in your life? 

          What's it like being a derivative sack of Breitbart headlines? 

              1. Can't wait to see Trump's Saturday AM tweets explaining how either this was a big beautiful victory, or some deep state conspiracy that he'll have his friends (all none of them) in the intelligence agencies investigate smiley

                When Trump belly flops, he really does empty the pool!

            2. If you spin much harder, Pee Pee, you're gonna screw yourself right into the ground.

              You lost. Your boys lost. BIG. You are humiliated and defeated.

              Get over it.

            3. A train wreck because our junior senator would have been forced to take a position in the upper chamber?  After casting over 60 votes to repeal the law in the House? That train wreck?

  12. Might I suggest that all future references to his orangeness include the descriptor "impotent." He cannot ban Muslims (the courts stopped him), he cannot repeal ObamaCare (his own party stopped him, and he will not be able to build his big beautiful wall. He is " unable to take effective action; helpless or powerless."  

    2. Trump is not impotent. The presidency has discretion to screw up a lot of things.

      Trump can still unleash ICE agents on raids, harass travelers at airports, help Russia's geopolitical interests, for example by abandoning The Ukraine and disrupting Europe & NATO.

      The AHCA could be called RyanCare, RepublicanCare or TrumpCare, but Repealing Obamacare is just a Trojan Horse to defund Medicaid and Medicare to give tax cuts to the wealthy. The AHCA failed to get enough votes because the Koch Brothers' extremist wing of the extremist Republicans didn't think it was insufficient at meeting that goal.

      Obamacare IS the market-based health insurance plan because it creates a functioning market for individual health insurance. It is popular and effective for people without employer insurance.

      There are options for improving Obamacare, for example Single-Payer.

      There are also options for Republicans to give tax breaks to the wealthy, and to defund Medicare & Medicaid. Without the AHCA as cover, let's just watch they come back on their main goals.

        1. I think Tillerson already has a plan to use a pre-emptive strike on North Koreas' nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, should Trump desire. Maybe Trump can work some masterful negotiations with the Chinese, like he does with the Congress.

  13. Buried the lede.

    Americans like wealth distribution a whole lot more than the John Birch Society dead-enders corporate paymasters of the GOP do.

  14. I think the plot of this story is Frankenstein. Republicans created a Tea Party monster, and the monster just killed the bride of GOP. Moral: don't try to achieve fame and fortune by creating monsters. It never ends well.

     

  15. The politician that impressed me was Ken Buck.  Where Coffman was a Trump toady who was always going to vote for repeal regardless of the consequences, Buck was up front a couple of weeks ago saying that Republicans wouldn't take away healthcare coverage from millions of Americans.  He got it right early and his pragmatism prevailed in the Republican Party.  This might be a turning point in reclaiming our country from Trump and his Russian favored henchmen.

  16. Paul Ryan is the big loser this time.  His cherished dreams of destroying Medicaid and Medicare are probably dashed now.  No Ayn Rand overhaul of America Paul.  Best wishes for spending more time with your family.

  18. Hey Stooges — this is your president at his best babblespeak:

    “I think the losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer because now they own Obamacare,” Trump said of the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, respectively, immediately after remarking that he’d “be totally open to” working with the opposition party. “They own it — 100 percent own it. And this is not a Republican health care. This is not anything but a Democrat health care, and they have Obamacare for a little while longer until it ceases to exist, which it will at some point in the near future.”

    “And just remember: This is not our bill. This is their bill,” he continued. “Now, when they all become civilized and get together and try and work out a great health care bill for the people of this country, we’re open to it. We’re totally open to it.”

    Yet asked if he would talk to Democrats now that Republicans are moving on, Trump said no.

    “I think we have to let Obamacare go its way for a little while, and we’ll see how things go. I’d love to see it do well, but it can’t. I mean, it can’t,” Trump said. “It’s not a question of, ‘Gee, I hope it does well.’ I would love it to do well. I want great health care for the people of this nation, but it can’t do well. It’s imploding and soon will explode, and it’s not gonna be pretty. So the Democrats don’t wanna see that so they’re gonna reach out when they’re ready. And whenever they’re ready, we’re ready.”

    You really should think about getting him fitted for a snug white jacket and a padded room, maybe in the basement of the White House.

    1. And the Times Blame-Game story has links to Breitbart and Michelle Malkin who are calling for the election of a new speaker. Mark Meadow, leader of the Free Dumb Caucus, is one prominent name mentioned.

  20. BTW, did Scott Tipton ever take a position on the bill? If not, he may turn out to have been the most skillful Republican member of the Colorado delegation.

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