Under the lash of leadership, rank-and-file Republicans have been ramming Obamacare repeal through committee with few significant changes. Unsure of success but obedient to the party line, two committees have walked the line and voted for the unpopular bill so far.
But this Wednesday (weather permitting) at 10 a.m. in the Longworth House Office Building, members could stop jumping dutifully into the deep end. The normally sleepy Budget Committee could sink the bill. And it would only take four members.
Of course, that’s a big if.
Majority Whip Steve Scalise and his team have been quick to flog any member stepping out of line. When Rep. Joe Barton offered an amendment to speed up the rollback of Obamacare’s insurance exchanges, he set off a brief rebellion during a marathon 27-hour hearing in the Energy and Commerce Committee. But the Texan was quickly cowed, his amendment removed, and the bill advanced. A similar and less dramatic episode occurred in the Ways and Means Committee.
Now only one hurdle remains before House Speaker Paul Ryan can bring his bill to the floor for a vote. That’s the Budget Committee, and at least on paper, it could be a parliamentary Thermopylae. If conservatives want to force leadership to make policy concessions, this is where they’ll make a stand.
Budget Chairwoman Diane Black could wake up Wednesday morning to a mutiny. That’s because the committee roster is split between 22 Republicans and 14 Democrats. Assuming the minority all votes no, just four GOP members could torpedo the bill. (22 – 4 = 18, and 14 + 4 = 18, yielding an 18 – 18 tie.) And turns out, the committee is stacked with unruly conservatives.
In part, because this committee generally has so little clout, some of the most insubordinate members serve here, three from the House Freedom Caucus: Reps. Dave Brat of Virginia, Gary Palmer of Alabama, and Mark Sanford of North Carolina. They only need one more conspirator.
It could be the plucky freshman, Rep. Matt Gaetz. The Florida man clearly has a taste for the dramatic. He opened his maiden speech by telling Ryan to “lend me your ears, I come to bury Obamacare not to praise it.” Wednesday could be his chance.
Maybe it’d be Rep. Rob Woodall. A seasoned politician, the Georgia conservative once helmed the mammoth 176-member Republican Study Committee. That conservative group plants their feet firmly on limited government and balanced budgets. They’ve stood firm before and perhaps Woodall will too.
Or the fourth conspirator could be any of the 19 other Republicans who decide to, you know, honor their promise to fully repeal all of Obamacare.
Because of the majoritarian nature of the House, it’s not possible to completely sink the bill in committee. Leadership could always use a discharge petition or some other parliamentary procedure to float it back to the floor. But if conservatives want concessions, the Budget Committee is where they’ll get them.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
