The House Freedom Caucus on announced it will now support the President Trump’s healthcare plan because of the addition of the MacArther-Meadows Amendment.
The new addition will allow states to use their Tenth Amendment rights under the Constitution to voluntarily nullify crucial ObamaCare rules. The House Freedom Caucus consists of almost 30 constitutional conservative Republicans who have taken a strong stance on the repeal of Obamacare due to the wishes of their constituents. Their efforts were rewarded in pushing for House Speaker Paul Ryan’s decision to abandon a planned House vote on the legislation last month after it became clear there would not be enough Republican support to pass the bill.
The group is pleased with the new amendment, brokered by Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Congressman Tom MacArthur of New Jersey, as the best step in the right direction to repealing President Obama’s signature 2010 law. An official statement released by the House Freedom Caucus states:
When asked about the new provisions, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan told the Associated Press, “We think it’s very constructive. I think it helps us get to consensus.” The MacArthur-Meadows amendment will allow states to apply for wide reaching waivers from Obamacare rules that do not allow insurers to charge people with pre-existing conditions higher premiums. The amendment also mandates minimum insurance coverage requirements as long as the state offers high-risk pools as an alternative.
While many conservatives will likely want to see more efforts by the House to fully repeal Obamacare, this new amendment will make moderate Republicans feel safer in supporting this revised bill. It will hold a much better chance of passing the needed threshold of votes in Congress and being sent to President Donald Trump to be signed into law as Republians work on other important issues like tax reform.
