Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., resigned as co-chairman of the Tuesday Group on Tuesday, but will remain a member of the group of moderate GOP lawmakers.
“I am grateful to my colleagues across the political spectrum and have been encouraged by their support,” he said in a statement. “That being said, it’s clear that some in the Tuesday Group have different objectives and a different sense of governing than I do.”
MacArthur announced his decision during the group’s meeting and notified House Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday. He served as co-chairman for five months, along with Reps. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.
“Clearly, our group is divided. Many in the Tuesday Group are eager to live up to our ideal of being problem-solvers, while others seem unwilling to compromise,” he said.
MacArthur was the primary architect of an amendment to the House GOP’s health care bill which ultimately led to the conservative House Freedom Caucus backing the plan.
The amendment would allow states to apply for federal waivers to opt out of several Obamacare regulations, including the essential health benefits requirement and community rating rules.
Some Tuesday Group members feared the amendment would undermine protections for those with pre-existing conditions and lead to higher premiums for sick patients with gaps in coverage. But MacArthur maintained that the waivers would apply to a small percentage of the population.
The deal, brokered with Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., was crucial in securing the support needed for the Obamacare repeal bill to pass.
A dozen Tuesday Group members voted against the legislation earlier this month, including fellow New Jersey Reps. Leonard Lance and Frank LoBiondo.
MacArthur’s role in orchestrating the compromise put him on the bad side of his fellow Tuesday Group members, some of whom disliked the health care bill.
