WASHINGTON (NBC NEWS/WCMH) – President Trump made a sales call to Capitol Hill Tuesday, joining fellow Republicans as they search for common ground on the controversial GOP measure to replace Obamacare.
“We had a great meeting. I think we’re going to get a winner vote,” Mr. Trump said afterward.
“The message was if we don’t get this done, we’re going to lose the House and the Senate next year. He was that blunt,” New York’s Rep. Chris Collins said afterward.
Overnight Republican leaders made changes to the bill, include ending Obamacare taxes this year instead of next and giving states more flexibility on how they administer Medicaid funds.
Republicans are hopeful the moves will shore-up support from conservatives and moderates who’ve voiced reservations about the bill. However, NBC News says at least 26 Republicans are voting against or leaning toward voting against the bill. House GOP leaders can only afford to lose 21 Republican votes.
The list of House Republicans opposed to the bill includes two representatives from Ohio: Jim Jordan of Ohio’s 4th Congressional District and Warren Davidson of Ohio’s 8th Congressional District. Representatives speaking out against the bill say that it doesn’t do enough to lower health insurance costs, even though the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says that premiums will be reduced by 10 percent in 10 years. The CBO also estimates that 24 million Americans will lose health care coverage by 2026 under the bill.
The bill also still requires insurance companies to cover the essential benefits mandated by Obamacare, which some on the right want to repeal. They say that these services drive up the cost of health care.
Here is NBC News’ list of House Republicans opposed to the bill:
- Jim Jordan (R-OH)
- Mark Meadows (R-NC)
- Justin Amash (R-MI)
- Dave Brat (R-VA)
- Raul Labrador (R-ID)
- Mo Brooks (R-AL)
- Rob Wittman (R-VA)
- Thomas Massie (R-KY)
- Tom Garrett (R-VA)
- Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
- Leonard Lance (R-NJ)
- Mark Amodei (R-NV)
- Jim Bridenstine (R-OK)
- Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
- John Katko (R-NY)
- Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
- Walter Jones (R-NC)
- Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
- Ted Budd (R-NC)
- Mark Sanford (R-SC)
- Rick Crawford (R-AR)
- Lou Barletta (R-PA)
- Ted Yoho (R-FL)
- Scott DesJarlais (R-TN)
- Warren Davidson (R-OH)
- Paul Gosar (R-AZ)