Republicans Get Second Wind On Replacement, But Set No Definitive Timeline This Go-Round
House Republicans are pressing leadership to not give up on repeal and replace, but many know they face long odds. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, at a bipartisan event held out the White House, said he expects everyone to be able to reach a deal "very quickly."
The New York Times:
Repeal Of Affordable Care Act Is Back On Agenda, Republicans Say
Under extreme pressure from conservative activists, House Republican leaders and the White House have restarted negotiations on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But efforts to revive the legislation in the House could take weeks, lawmakers conceded, as Congress moves forward with a full plate of other time-consuming issues. And the renewed push did not meet with much enthusiasm from Senate Republicans, who said they had other priorities at the moment. (Pear and Peters, 3/28)
The Associated Press:
Ryan Says House To Revisit Health Care, Offers No Details
Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday he's going to give battered House Republicans another crack at a health care overhaul. But he offered no timeline, and leaders haven't resolved how to overcome the deep GOP divisions that crumpled their legislation last week in a humiliating retreat for themselves and President Donald Trump. (Fram, 3/28)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
House Republicans Struggle To Revive Health Care Overhaul Plan
Still smarting from last week’s meltdown on a bill to overhaul the Obama health law, House Republicans used a closed door “family meeting” in the U.S. Capitol to both clear the air, and see if there was a way to push forward again on a plan to make major changes to Obamacare. (Dupree, 3/28)
USA Today:
House Republicans Say They Are Still Negotiating Obamacare Repeal
After the failure of the bill and some weekend reflection, Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and his caucus are trying to do things differently. The group is working with leadership and moderate Republicans to try to bring back the bill in a different form. Meadows had a meeting with Ryan on Tuesday, which was unusual because the Freedom Caucus had largely gone around leadership during the negotiation process and dealt directly with the White House. (Collins, 3/28)
Bloomberg:
House GOP Clings To Obamacare Repeal Dream Despite Bill Collapse
Representative Tom MacArthur of New Jersey, a co-chairman of the GOP’s Tuesday Group of moderates, said he participated in a meeting brokered by House Speaker Paul Ryan with some members of the House Freedom Caucus where they reopened the conversation on how to repeal and replace Obamacare. “We as a conference are still trying to get to yes,” MacArthur said, adding that the “framework would largely be the same” as the bill that Ryan abruptly pulled from the House floor on Friday. (House and Wasson, 3/28)
The Washington Post:
House GOP Has High Hopes, But Not High Likelihood, Of Reviving Health-Care Bill
White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday acknowledged talks but no imminent plans for reviving the bill. “Have we had some discussions and listened to ideas? Yes,” he told reporters. “Are we actively planning an immediate strategy? Not at this time.” (DeBonis, 3/28)
CQ Roll Call:
Republicans Reverse Course, Open Door To Another Health Debate
Any action before the upcoming April recess would be a huge undertaking. Attention on Capitol Hill has now largely shifted to other issues, such as finding a way to fund the government beyond April 28 when the current continuing resolution expires. (Mershon, Williams and McPherson, 3/28)
Politico:
GOP On Reviving Obamacare Repeal: Lots Of Talk, No Action
[L]awmakers and aides acknowledge the odds are not in their favor. The conference is still deeply divided, and members are seething over the demise of their replacement bill — with most fingers pointing at members of the arch-conservative Freedom Caucus. During a meeting with several dozen whips Monday night, Republican allies of leadership vented about how they want to punish members of the conservative group who “don’t play with the team.” (Bade, Cheney and Bresnahan, 3/28)
The Hill:
House GOP Insists: We’re Not Giving Up On ObamaCare Repeal
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, on Monday called for working with Democrats, rather than trying to pass a fast-track “reconciliation” bill with only Republican votes. “If they can get 216 votes, that's great,” Cornyn added to reporters on Tuesday. “We'll take it up over here." (Sullivan and Hellmann, 3/28)
The Associated Press:
Senate, White House Pass On House Push To Revive Health Bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., made his views clear after a closed-door lunch with fellow Senate Republicans and Vice President Mike Pence. "It's pretty obvious we were not able, in the House, to pass a replacement. Our Democratic friends ought to be pretty happy about that because we have the existing law in place, and I think we're just going to have to see how that works out," McConnell said. "We believe it will not work out well, but we'll see." (Werner, 3/28)
Politico:
Roskam Rejects Bid To Revive Failed GOP Obamacare Repeal Bill
Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), a former member of House Republican leadership, is leading a charge to bury Speaker Paul Ryan’s Obamacare replacement once and for all and start over, multiple sources told POLITICO. The move by the senior House Republican who sits on the Ways and Means committee could complicate any GOP leadership attempt to resurrect the bill that Ryan pulled from the floor Friday. (Bade and Bresnahan, 3/28)
The Hill:
McConnell: ObamaCare 'Status Quo' Will Stay In Place Moving Forward
Senate Republican leaders still say that if the House somehow finds a way to pass a repeal and replacement bill, they could consider it. But they are not sounding hopeful. Asked about the prospects of a healthcare bill, Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 3 Senate Republican, put the burden solely on the House. "It’s going to be entirely up to them, what they can pass," he said. (Sullivan, 3/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Hosts Senators In First Bipartisan Outreach Since Health-Bill Failure
In his first bipartisan outreach since the implosion of his health-care bill in the House on Friday, President Donald Trump hosted more than half the Senate members at the White House on Tuesday for an evening of music and political banter that at times seemed to overlook their recent history of partisan standoffs. (Andrews, Ballhaus and Radnofsky, 3/28)
Politico:
Trump Tells Senators: We Can Deal On Health Care ‘Very Quickly’
President Donald Trump still sees a deal on health care. In fact, he told senators he has “no doubt that that’s going to happen very quickly.” Speaking in brief remarks at a White House reception for senators and their spouses, Trump brushed off the recent collapse of a House-led bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. (Jackson, 3/28)
Texas Tribune:
Ted Cruz On Health Care Overhaul: "We Have Got To Get It Done"
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz reiterated to a group of conservative lawyers on Tuesday that "failure is not an option" when it comes to GOP efforts to overhaul former President Obama's 2010 health care law. "That's had a rocky few days," he told members of the Federalist Society, referencing the House GOP's futile attempt to repeal the law. "But it's important to keep in mind, No. 1, we have got to get it done." (Livingston, 3/28)
The Associated Press:
Hillary Clinton Calls Defeat Of GOP Health Care Bill 'A Victory For All Americans'
A spirited Hillary Clinton took on the Trump administration Tuesday in one of her first public speeches since she lost the presidential election, criticizing the country's Republican leaders on everything from health care to the shortage of women appointees in top administration positions. Cracking jokes about her November defeat and her months out of the limelight since, Clinton spoke to thousands of businesswomen in San Francisco, joking there was no place she'd rather be, "other than the White House." (Knickmeyer, 3/28)
Reuters:
U.S. Hospital Shares Drop As Republicans Weigh Healthcare Repeal
U.S. hospital stocks dropped on Tuesday as Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives said they were considering a renewed push to repeal and replace Obamacare, after the effort failed last week. (Erman, Cowan and Abutaleb, 3/28)