Wednesday, May 03, 2017

The Trump White House is telling those that oppose the Republican ? health care ? bill to write amendments.

It is a strategy to get Republican legislators to "shut up and put up." If enough Republicans get their amendments through to pass the bill then the bill goes to the Senate. The Senate will modify it and there will be reconciliation.

There are no guarantees the best amendments will pass. Rep. Upton can place an amendment before the Congress and it won't pass necessarily. That means Upton won't vote for the bill, but, that doesn't mean the bill dies if his colleagues will vote for it because their amendments passed. There will probably be conflicting amendments passed just so the bill will pass. It will be a mess by the time it reaches the Senate. Who knows what the House or Senate will really pass as in the way of law. 

May 3, 2017
By Alan Fram

Washington — Michigan's Fred Upton, (click here) a respected moderate Republican lawmaker who had announced his opposition to the party’s health care bill said Tuesday he’s crafting an amendment with the backing of GOP leaders that could gain crucial support for the languishing measure.

Upton, R-St. Joseph, said the proposal would provide $8 billion over five years to help people with pre-existing medical conditions pay their costly insurance premiums. It comes with many party moderates opposing the high-priority legislation, even as GOP leaders press holdouts to back it and push it through the House before the chamber begins a week-long recess scheduled to start Friday.

Upton described the plan to the Associated Press late Tuesday, hours after he revealed he was opposing the bill because it weakened insurance protections President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul provides people with pre-existing illnesses. Republicans want to repeal much of that 2010 law....

The Upton proposal would provide $8 billion over five years. Then what? The assistance with coverage payments will end? The illnesses these folks suffer from won't end.

That is $1.6 billion per year. Is that necessary and/or sufficient. 

The Republicans need to run their mess through the GAO and get the facts straight.