Moderate Republican senators aired concerns Monday after the Congressional Budget Office report predicted that 14 million Americans would lose their health insurance after one year under the House GOP healthcare plan and 24 million over 10 years amid continued questions that the legislation will survive.
Not long after the report was announced, multiple moderate-leaning Republicans told reporters that they are concerned with the House bill amid the new predictions from the non-partisan CBO, which have immediately come under fire from House Republicans who support the legislation. Proponents of the bill point to $337 billion the CBO expects in deficit reduction and the $883 billion in tax cuts. However, it was tough to sugarcoat for some.
“Yeah, it’s awful, huh?” Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said. “You gotta read the analysis, you gotta read the caveats, but — and again, I’ve got it right here, so I hesitate to give detail because the detail I’ve heard may not be the details in the document, but it has to be a concern.”
“Of course it’s concerning,” Cassidy said referring to the 24 million who could be kicked off by 2026. “I try and avoid hyperbole and adjectives…but still, it’s always a concern.”
The CBO’s score of the bill comes only a week after the American Health Care Act’s release, which has been met by opposition from various corners of the GOP, especially from conservative members. Since then, the bill has passed the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees and is set to stop at the Budget Committee later in the week.
Many of the bill’s supporters, however, are looking to the CBO’s score of the Affordable Care Act in 2009, which predicted that 20 million would receive coverage in the first year, only to see just over half — 10.4 million — ultimately sign up. Sen. John McCain pointed to that fact Monday in the wake of the report but still expressed worries about the House bill.
“I’m not surprised [by the report]. The CBO was wildly wrong on their initial estimates of Obamacare. We always take into consideration their estimates,” McCain said before reacting to the report itself. “I’m always concerned. Arizona is one of those states that expanded Medicaid and I’m very worried about what the House bill would do, especially since they expanded Medicaid. I’ll have to wait and see what the House bill finishes up in their comments before I make a judgment.”
In the wake of the report, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called for her fellow lawmakers to take a second look at her healthcare proposal with Cassidy, titled the “Patient Freedom Act,” which was released in late January and would keep much of the ACA intact but allow states to choose another course of action individually. However, Collins said that it’s “premature” to render a decision on the bill given the changes that could be made following the report.
“I’m going to wait and see what comes over here,” Collins said. “It’s premature to make a decision at this point because perhaps the House will change some of its provisions given the CBO estimate and the Standard & Poor’s estimate, both of which indicate that millions of people will lose coverage. That’s obviously of great concern to me.”
The week was initially slated to be one of high importance for House GOP leadership, many of who who had hoped to increase support the AHCA, only to see Winter Storm Stella put a dent in those plans. Bowling and pizza night at the White House on Tuesday was cancelled, as were all House activities until Wednesday afternoon when they are set to reconvene.
For now, GOP senators, like Collins, are in wait and see mode to see what, if anything, reaches the Senate floor.
“I have a lot of things to do. Following the machinations of the House is not one of them,” McCain said.
Susan Crabtree contributed to this report.
