Alexandra DeSanctis explains at National Review Online that recent legislative setbacks do not signal the end of health care reform efforts.
Is legislative health-care reform really dead?
Most of Congress seems to think so, and President Trump agrees, if his irate tweets about taking executive action to fix health care on his own are any indication. But the fact remains that Obamacare exchanges are still struggling all across the country. While a GOP-led repeal bill might not be on the table again anytime in the near future, some lawmakers continue to float possible solutions.
In the House, a group of about 40 centrist lawmakers hopes to lead the effort to stabilize the Obamacare exchanges. Called the Problem Solvers caucus, the group includes some moderate congressmen from the New Democrat Coalition and the GOP’s Tuesday Group. …
… On Wednesday, Republican congressman Mark Meadows, chair of the House Freedom Caucus, said health-care reform isn’t over. He also said that he has met with the Trump administration to discuss the path forward, and he’s confident they can develop a new plan. Meadows was one of the key GOP members to broker the deal for an amendment that enabled the American Health Care Act to pass the House in April.
Over in the Senate, a handful of moderate GOP senators have suggested providing block-grant health-care funding to the states. This proposal was put forth in an amendment last week by GOP senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy, but it has yet to receive a vote. It would need to be scored by the CBO before a floor vote could take place.
