A group of House conservatives plans to offer an amendment to the Republican health care plan that they said will ensure the bill upholds the campaign promise of repealing Obamacare and lowering the cost of health insurance.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said the amendment is “focused on repealing Obamacare and bringing down the cost of premiums.”
Freedom Caucus members oppose the current GOP plan, which they say does not fully repeal the current health care law and won’t do enough to reduce costs.
“I think it’s a product that can be fixed,” said Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, a Freedom Caucus member. “I don’t want to say completely there is no way to get to a yes, but there are just some major changes that are needed.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the GOP would “refine” the bill but suggested the changes would be minor. But Labrador said conservatives would not accept “cosmetic” changes to the legislation.
“That’s not going to get me to a yes,” Labrador said. “Fundamental changes that keep the promises we made to constituents, I think that can get us to a yes.”
Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., who heads the largest conservative GOP faction, the Republican Study Committee, said he is “working toward a yes, but some of the fundamental flaws of this bill need to be improved.”
