HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “The White House and congressional Republicans are in serious danger of not having enough votes to pass their health care bill.
Several Republicans have come out Monday [5-1-17] against the current measure to repeal and replace Obamacare, bringing CNN’s whip count to 21 Republicans — mostly moderates — opposed to the bill with another dozen lawmakers still undecided.
And President Donald Trump, whose White House was optimistic the House could pass a bill Wednesday, once again muddied the waters by suggesting the measure may still be changed.
‘I want it to be good for sick people. It’s not in its final form right now,’ he said during an Oval Office interview Monday with Bloomberg News. ‘It will be every bit as good on pre-existing conditions as Obamacare.’
Vice President Mike Pence, who has been working with congressional leaders from the start on the health care effort, is heading up to Capitol Hill Monday afternoon as well.
The Republican Party can only afford to lose 22 votes assuming all of the Republicans are able to attend the vote and no Democrats cross over. As they count votes, GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who was expected to be out for three to four weeks after surgery, is returning Monday from Colorado and will back the bill, his office said.”
-Lauren Fox, “GOP on verge of losing health care vote,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, May 1, 2017 4:20pm