Key Republicans are coming out against the new Obamacare fix, and it looks like 'the effort is dead'

pulse

October 18, 2017 7:32 PM

Republicans including President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan already oppose the Alexander-Murray Obamacare stabilization deal.

Two senators from either side of the political aisle released a bipartisan deal to shore up the Obamacare markets Tuesday.
Key Republicans, including President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, have already come out against some or all of the package.
It could seriously damage the chances of getting the bill passed.

With the Republican attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on ice for now, two senators from either side of the aisle are trying to shore up the law's insurance exchanges in the meantime. Resistance from leading Republicans, however, could sink the attempt.

The bill from GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray — the leaders of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee — would help pump some funding back into the exchanges to ensure costs for consumers stay low while also allowing states more flexibility to try their own fixes for exchanges.

Here's a rundown of some major pushback the package received so far:

President Donald Trump:
took issue with the inclusion
House Speaker Paul Ryan:
reiterated that Wednesday
The speaker does not see anything that changes his view that the Senate should keep its focus on repeal and replace of Obamacare," Ryan's office said.
Republican Study Committee chair Mark Walker:
The GOP should focus on repealing & replacing Obamacare, not trying to save it," Walker said via Twitter. "This bailout is unacceptable."
Conservative action groups:

Republican Sen. John Kennedy said Trump's reversal on the bill likely means the push is dead for now.

While there could be some push for the bill over the next few weeks, Rick Weissenstein of Cowen Washington Research Group said in a note to clients that the GOP resistance could put the effort on ice until the year-end negotiation over government funding.

"Statements this morning by President Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan critical of the deal reached between Sens. Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray should not be taken as a death knell for the bill. It was always unlikely that the measure would move on its own," Weissenstein said.

He added: "The more likely scenario is that Alexander-Murray gets wrapped up in what is likely to be a very large year-end measure."

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