Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Ultimate Salesman' Trump To Make Full Court Press On Reluctant Lawmakers
President Donald Trump is rallying support for the Republican health care overhaul by taking his case directly to GOP lawmakers at the Capitol, two days before the House plans a climactic vote that poses an important early test for his presidency. Top House Republicans unveiled revisions to their bill in hopes of nailing down support. (Fram and Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/21)
On Tuesday morning, the president will head to Capitol Hill in an attempt to seal up House Republican support for the health insurance legislation, just two days before the most important congressional vote of his young presidency. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been working. He鈥檚 the closer,鈥 House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said Monday on MSNBC. 鈥淗e knows how to put this together. He鈥檚 got great negotiating skills, and we鈥檙e coming together with it.鈥 (Wong, 3/20)
鈥淚 think the president is the ultimate salesman on this,鈥 Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) said Friday. 鈥淚 think there might be some members in there that it might be beneficial for him to call, if it gets down to that.鈥 (McIntire, 3/20)
If Trump and Ryan lose the Freedom Caucus, they risk a stalemate in Congress over health care and potential backlash from the party鈥檚 base if they鈥檙e unable to do what Republicans have promised their voters for years: Get rid of Obamacare, repeal the mandate that most people must have health insurance or pay a fine, and loosen restrictions on insurance companies. (Douglas and Douglas, 3/20)
Failure of the health bill could foreshadow stiff challenges to plans to overhaul the tax code, reform immigration policy and rework financial services regulation, said Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.). "This is, I think, a leading indicator about whether we're going to have a functioning and workable majority," said Huizenga, who added that he expected Trump to reassure lawmakers Tuesday that he fully supports the House bill. (Cheney and Bade, 3/21)