House and Senate conservatives said Tuesday that they plan to introduce their own legislation to repeal Obamacare.
The leaders of the House Freedom Caucus and several Republican senators said during a press conference outside the Capitol Tuesday that the repeal bill introduced by House GOP leadership Monday night is more of an opening bid in negotiations.
But that contradicts comments by Vice President Mike Pence, who told lawmakers in a meeting that a vote against the American Health Care Act is a vote for Obamacare.
The plan to be introduced in the House Tuesday and the Senate Wednesday by conservatives resembles one previously introduced by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C.
The more conservative alternative uses a tax deduction instead of the American Health Care Act’s tax credits and immediately ends the Medicaid expansion. The American Health Care Act would keep the expansion in place until 2020, a key concession to more moderate GOP senators from expansion states.
Conservatives at the press conference didn’t appear deterred after a meeting with Pence immediately beforehand.
“What we have now is an opening bid,” Sanford said during the press conference.
“This is the beginning of the negotiation,” Paul added.
Paul said House and Senate conservatives have been contacted by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and White House officials, further showing that the original bill is up for negotiation.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., gave a different interpretation of Pence’s statement that the American Health Care Act is the final bill.
“There is some difference in the context of what is being said,” Meadows said. “The president and vice president are saying that the foundation [the AHCA] there is a good foundation. We might disagree on that, however we are committed to looking at that foundation.”
Paul also hinted at divisions in the GOP caucus, while leadership is trying to put out a united front in favor of the bill.
“We are united on repeal but divided on replacement,” Paul said.
While the Freedom Caucus has criticized the leadership’s plan, it remains to be seen whether the group will vote as a bloc against it. The caucus is meeting Tuesday night to discuss a statement on it.
Members also pointed to statements from the White House to prove their point that the American Health Care Act is an opening gambit.
They pointed to comments from White House press secretary Sean Spicer that said the bill was a “work in progress.”
However, President Trump issued a statement later Tuesday saying he is “proud to support” the Republican legislation.
Freedom Caucus member Rep. David Brat, R-Va., said after the press conference that the caucus doesn’t want to oppose Trump. Brat said that Trump wanted “a healthcare program that lowers costs, lets people shop across state lines and that is not in [the AHCA].”
When asked if he was scared about being the subject of a tweet from Trump, who has used the medium to express his discontent on multiple occasions, Brat responded, “I like his tweets. He has a great sense of humor.”
