What the Freedom Caucus Just Decided Could Help Trump Keep This Promise to Voters

Star Parker, founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, compared the GOP Freedom Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives to slavery abolitionists for holding out against the Obamacare repeal bill.

“They see, rightly, how far America has drifted from its blueprint of freedom, and the grave consequences of this fiscally, morally and existentially,” she wrote.

The group of about 30 lawmakers contended that the measure presented to them in March didn’t go far enough to lower premiums.

House Speaker Paul Ryan withdrew the bill after failing to get the votes.

Sources reported Wednesday that the Freedom Caucus now supports the revised bill. From the Hill (emphasis added):

The group said it sees the new amendment, brokered by Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and centrist Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), as the best option short of fully repealing the 2010 law.

“While the revised version still does not fully repeal Obamacare, we are prepared to support it to keep our promise to the American people to lower healthcare costs,” the Freedom Caucus said in a statement.
“We look forward to working with our Senate colleagues to improve the bill. Our work will continue until we fully repeal Obamacare.”

The MacArthur-Meadows amendment lets states apply for waivers from ObamaCare provisions that ban insurers from charging sick people higher premiums and mandate minimum insurance coverage requirements, as long as the state offers high-risk pools as an alternative.

The group’s support doesn’t mean the bill will pass. “Centrist” Republicans have to be convinced.

Photo credit: Fibonacci Blue (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved