Republicans strain for modest ‘skinny’ redo of ‘Obamacare’

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Buoyed by a signal from House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a pared-down health care bill late Thursday that he hoped would keep alive Republican ambitions to repeal “Obamacare.”

Votes on the measure were expected deep into the night.

McConnell, R-Ky., is calling his bill the Health Care Freedom Act, but among his colleagues it’s known as “skinny repeal.” It’s not intended to become law, but to open a path for a House-Senate conference committee to try to work out comprehensive legislation Congress can pass and send to President Donald Trump.

The bill would repeal the unpopular Affordable Care Act provision that requires most people to have health insurance or risk a fine from the IRS. A similar requirement on larger employers would be suspended for eight years.

Additionally it would deny funding to Planned Parenthood and suspend for three years a tax on medical-device manufacturers. It would allow states to seek waivers from consumer protections in the Obama-era law and increase the amount that individuals could contribute to tax-sheltered health savings accounts for medical expenses.

Ryan, R-Wis., opened a path for McConnell earlier Thursday evening by signaling a willingness to negotiate a more comprehensive bill with the Senate. Some Republican senators had been concerned that the House would simply pass the “skinny bill” and send it to Trump. That would have sent a shock wave through health insurance markets, spiking premiums.

Ryan sent senators a statement saying that if “moving forward” requires talks with the Senate, the House would be “willing” to do so. But shortly afterward, his words received varied responses from three GOP senators who’d insisted on a clear commitment from Ryan. It was not immediately clear whether the maneuver would succeed.