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 "We are going to go home tomorrow without a deal," Congressman Chris
Collins, a Republican moderate in the U.S. House of Representatives,
told reporters.
A White House ally, Collins said days of negotiations have broken
down over conservative demands to allow states to waive popular
Obamacare policies that protect sick people from price
discrimination and allow young adults to stay on their parents'
healthcare plans until age 26.
He said the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus was "moving
the goal posts" for negotiations, risking potential support from
moderate Republicans.
Both sides of the debate have warned that the Republican push for
healthcare reform, one of President Donald Trump's top campaign
promises, could lose momentum if lawmakers left this week without a
deal to bridge fissures that led to the legislation's failure on
March 24, when House Speaker Paul Ryan canceled a vote.
Earlier on Wednesday, Heritage Action Chief Executive Mike Needham
told reporters his conservative group was looking at ways to target
House moderates known as the Tuesday Group, with attack ads in their
districts and other tactics.
But Ryan told a forum that the discussions had been "very
productive" and emphasized that Republican leaders have not set a
deadline for agreement.
"We can keep working this for weeks now," Ryan said. "We've got time
to figure this out."
Republicans have been railing against President Barack Obama's
Affordable Care Act since its enactment in 2010. On Tuesday, some
Republican lawmakers expressed hope the Trump White House would
unveil a healthcare bill. Some conservatives said a vote by the
House was possible this week.
The legislation has not yet emerged, despite talks with Republican
lawmakers led by Vice President Mike Pence. A House Republican
leadership aide said on Wednesday that plans remained on track for
the divided chamber to begin a more than two-week recess by
mid-afternoon on Thursday.
Representative Mark Meadows, chairman of the hard-right House
Freedom Caucus, late on Tuesday said, "There’s a concern on my part
that if we’re making real progress, that going home sends the wrong
message."
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Meadows told reporters on Wednesday he had not yet heard from the
White House about timing of the next negotiation session.
Still, the negotiations will allow lawmakers to return to their home
districts and tell voters they are trying to deliver on a campaign
promise that helped them win election.
In an interview with Axios and NBC television, House Majority Leader
Kevin McCarthy said Republicans will produce a healthcare bill, but
did not provide a timetable.
Late on Tuesday, following a closed-door meeting with House
Republicans, Pence told reporters there was "good talk, good
progress" toward a bill. He did not elaborate.
Republican lawmakers have said efforts are focused on maintaining
Obamacare's essential health benefits, such as mental health
coverage and maternity care. But states could apply for waivers if
they could improve coverage and reduce costs.
If major portions of Obamacare are repealed, there were discussions
of creating a "backstop" so premiums do not spike for people with
chronic illnesses in high-risk insurance pools.
(Additional reporting by Amanda Becker; Editing by David Gregorio
and Nick Zieminski)
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