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 Both Democrats and Republicans are expected to try to reshape
legislation that dismantles key provisions of the 2010 Affordable
Care Act, Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature
domestic policy achievement.
The Republican plan unveiled on Tuesday would scrap Obamacare's
requirement that most Americans obtain medical insurance and replace
its income-based subsides with a system of fixed tax credits of
$2,000 to $4,000 to coax people to purchase private insurance on the
open market.
The plan faces significant hurdles in Congress. Conservative
Republican lawmakers and lobbying groups slammed it for looking too
much like the Obamacare program they have been trying to kill for
years. Democrats criticized it as rolling back health insurance
coverage gains for millions of Americans while benefiting the rich
by repealing healthcare-related taxes.
Meanwhile, insurers questioned the assumptions underlying
Republicans' claims that the plan will reduce premiums, while some
experts said it would encourage younger, healthier people to forgo
coverage.
On Wednesday, The House Ways and Means Committee, with jurisdiction
over taxes, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which
oversees health issues, will each pursue separate "mark-up" sessions
to consider amendments to the plan.
House Speaker Paul Ryan has pledged that he will deliver a 218-vote
majority needed for passage in the House. But further changes could
be made in the Senate, where Republicans can only afford to lose two
votes from their thin majority in the face of unified opposition
from Democrats.
Conservative Republican Senator Rand Paul on Tuesday declared the
plan "dead on arrival" in broadcast interviews and said he wanted a
repeal-only option.
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House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady told Fox News
Channel late on Tuesday that he would "listen to good ideas to
improve it" but said the plan achieves the party's goals.
"It repeals all the taxes, all the mandates, all the penalties, all
the subsidies. This is Obamacare gone and there's no arguing about
that," Brady said.
But he also said that much of the bill's fate was in the Senate's
hands and he was "counting on" Senate Republicans to support it
without major changes.
Trump, who praised the Republican healthcare plan but said it was
"out for review and negotiation," plans to meet conservative
congressional leaders to discuss it on Wednesday, according to a
schedule released by the White House.
In an evening Twitter message, Trump said he was "sure" that Senator
Paul would "come along with the new and great healthcare program
because he knows Obamacare is a disaster!"
(Writing by David Lawder; Editing by Nick Tattersall, Robert Birsel)
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