Just two days into the White House’s push for reluctant lawmakers to support the first legislative phase of congressional Republican leaders’ plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, a key conservative opponent is softening.
Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., said that if President Trump and Republican leaders agree to two major changes, the conservative Republican Study Committee that he leads might be willing to support their plan.
“The first is to change the structure of the tax credits to make them partially refundable,” Walker said Wednesday afternoon. “The second is freezing Medicaid expansion enrollment during the 115th Congress.”
If those tweaks are made, Walker can see his massive, 172-member bloc get on board.
“Yes, we can’t keep moving the goal post,” Walker said. “I will go ahead and say for the first time that we would be a hard ‘yes.’ In fact, we’d love to have a unanimous steering committee vote.”
Walker broke from another key group that so far is withholding its support.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., doubled down on the House Freedom Caucus’ opposition on Wednesday.
“I believe when the president understands the fact that this is really not going to help millions of people, he’ll be with us on our side,” Meadows predicted on CNN Wednesday evening. “Let the negotiations begin,” he said, signaling an openness to work with the administration to change the bill to his group’s liking.
Trump’s Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told reluctant lawmakers that the White House is open to amending the bill.
House Republican Conference Vice Chairman Doug Collins said he’s confident that once his colleagues realize they face the “binary” choice Trump laid out Tuesday, they will get on board.
“We’re going to have a bill on the floor in a couple weeks,” Collins said about the legislation under consideration by the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees. “We’re going to have input” but ultimately “the question will come, at the moment in time when it’s ready to vote…then the question has to come: Are you going to vote ‘no’ or are you going to vote ‘yes?'” the Georgian asked.
“They’re going to have to give their own reasons for that,” he said. Speaking of Trump’s support for the bill, and his popularity back in Republican members’ districts, Collins said: “I think that’s a big incentive.”
He said the leadership is enthusiastic but realistic.
“We’re excited about where we’re going,” he said. “Is it going to be easy? No. But nobody said running for office was going to be easy; they said ‘run for office and do what’s right.’ We’re going to do what’s right.”
