Delay The Vote---If Republicans Pass This Hasty, Poorly Conceived Healthcare Bill.....

THEY WILL BE ANNIHILATED @ THE FEDERALIST

INSTEAD, LAWMAKERS SHOULD TAKE A BREATH AND REWRITE REPEAL AND REPLACE....@ THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

House Speaker Paul Ryan doesn't have the votes to pass the American Health Care Act, which is why he postponed the vote on the bill, originally scheduled for Thursday.

This postponement was prudent, and Republicans ought not to vote on Friday either. There is no reason to rush the legislation. There is no imminent deadline, no reason the Senate needs to vote on Obamacare before confirming Neil Gorsuch.

Republicans ought to take their time and write a better bill that, unlike the AHCA, acually repeals Obamacare and institutes real reform of the broken healthcare system.

Amen and Amen.

MIRENGOFF @ POWERLINE BLOG OFFERS MORE HOPE EITHER WAY:

My mantra on health care reform has been that it’s more important to do it right than to do it fast. 

President Trump disagrees. He insists that the House vote on Speaker Ryan’s (and his) flawed legislation tomorrow, and that’s what will happen.

After negotiations broke down today, Trump delivered an ultimatum: Pass the bill tomorrow or I’m moving on from Obamacare repeal. 

Congress can repeal and replace Obamacare even if the president moves on. However, the ultimatum had its intended effect — or at least half of it. There will be a vote on Friday.

To be fair, passing the Ryan-Trump measure doesn’t preclude doing repeal and replace right. The Senate can pass its own measure, after which the House will get another crack at the matter. Something good might still emerge, especially if Vice President Pence blows off the Senate parliamentarian. 

Still, the better starting point the House comes up with, the better a final product is likely to be. Passing a placeholder may be better than passing nothing, but it’s hardly ideal.

Is the bill that will be voted on tomorrow better than a placeholder? It’s hard to say. I know the bill has been improved in an attempt to placate the Freedom Caucus. The “essential benefits” mandate has been eliminated, for example. This means insurers can offer policies that don’t include mental-health treatment, wellness visits, and maternity and newborn care, etc. That’s an improvement.

But I can’t tell from the reporting I’ve seen which mandates remain. I know that the one requiring coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions is still in the legislation, but apparently others remain as well.

We shall see. We shall see.