Behind Closed-Doors Meeting, GOP Airs Concerns Over Obamacare

GOP lawmakers met behind closed doors on Friday night about their concerns on repealing and replacing Obamacare so quickly and without very little guidance, the Washington Post reports.

“We’d better be sure that we’re prepared to live with the market we’ve created” with repeal, said Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), according to a tape recording of the session which was provided to the Post and other news outlets. “That’s going to be called Trumpcare. Republicans will own that lock, stock and barrel, and we’ll be judged in the election less than two years away.”

Some of the issues discussed at the Republican policy retreat in Philadelphia were premium costs and how to keep them affordable for middle-class families, having a replacement in hand once the repeal takes place, avoiding damage to the health insurance market, the tax credit program and whether that will work for middle-class families, moving forward on a plan without clear guidance from President Trump or anyone in his administration and making sure the party is able to deal with the fallout from defunding Planned Parenthood.

“Our goal, in my opinion, should be not a quick fix. We can do it rapidly — but not a quick fix,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). “We want a long-term solution that lowers costs.”

Rep. John Faso warned of defunding Planned Parenthood.

“We are just walking into a gigantic political trap if we go down this path of sticking Planned Parenthood in the health insurance bill,” he said. “If you want to do it somewhere else, I have no problem, but I think we are creating a political minefield for ourselves — House and Senate.”