Jim Jordan, a leader of the conservative faction in the House Republican caucus, argued Sunday that the party should back off of Speaker Paul Ryan’s healthcare legislation and instead vote again on the straight repeal bill that passed Congress in 2016.
Ryan’s plan, backed by the White House, “doesn’t unite Republicans,” Jordan said in an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”
“Why not do what we all voted for just 15 months ago — repeal Obamacare, and build momentum” for a more conservative replacement, Jordan said.
The Ohio lawmaker, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, indicated that he would not vote for the leadership Obamacare replacement bill as it was introduced.
“I’m not for this plan, and I think there’s lots of opposition to this plan in the House and the Senate,” Jordan said.
Members of Congress, Jordan argued, should have an opportunity to amend the legislation, rather than face a binary choice of voting up or down on the leadership’s bill.
He also faulted Republicans who voted for the 2016 legislation to repeal Obamacare, giving Congress two years to develop a replacement, but who now are unwilling to do that. It’s not OK, he said, to favor one thing during “campaign time” but then not when the party is in power.
