Is Trumpcare in a death spiral?

“Not only would Trumpcare give billions of dollars in new tax breaks to the top 1%, but now we know it would raise costs for the average person covered by Obamacare by more than $1,500 annually. This is a scam; just like the rest of Donald Trump’s economic agenda, it takes from working families in order to make giveaways to the wealthy.  Thankfully, it’s not really going all that well,” said American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates.

ANALYSIS:
Associated Press, 3/7/2017: “House GOP health bill adds up to big tax cut for the rich…The bill would cut more than 20 taxes enacted under President Barack Obama’s heath law, saving taxpayers nearly $600 billion over the next decade. The bulk of the money would go to the wealthiest Americans.”

Bloomberg, 3/7/2017: “Health Insurers Would Get Fatter Tax Break on CEO Pay Under GOP Health Plan”

Wall Street Journal, 3/7/2017: “Top Earners Would Pay Less Tax Under GOP Health-Care Proposal”

Vox, 3/7/2017: “Analysis: GOP plan to cost Obamacare enrollees $1,542 more a year”

Los Angeles Times, 3/7/2017: “Millions of Californians would likely lose coverage under GOP Obamacare replacement, experts say”

Edwin Park, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/7/2017: “The new House Republican health plan would shift an estimated $370 billion in Medicaid costs to states over the next ten years, effectively ending the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid expansion for 11 million people while also harming tens of millions of additional seniors, people with disabilities, and children and parents who rely on Medicaid today.”

Associated Press, 3/7/2017: “The course correction would take at least two years to get rolling, and probably longer to show definitive results. If it falls short, it would give rise to a fresh set of health care grievances.”

HEADLINES:
Fox News, 3/7/2017: “Conservatives balk at ObamaCare replacement bill”

Washington Post, 3/7/2017: “Conservatives lash out at House GOP’s Obamacare replacement bill”

Bloomberg, 3/7/2017: “Conservatives Savage GOP Obamacare Plan Despite Trump Praise”

Wall Street Journal, 3/7/2017: “GOP’s Health Plan Draws Skepticism on Capitol Hill”

New York Times, 3/7/2017: “G.O.P. Health Bill Faces Revolt From Conservative Forces”

Politico, 3/7/2017: “Powerful conservative groups line up against House GOP health plan”

The Hill, 3/7/2017: “Conservative groups blast GOP healthcare plan”

Roll Call, 3/6/2017: “GOP Senators Threaten Obamacare Repeal Effort”

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS:
Former Freedom Caucus Chairman Jim Jordan, 3/7/2017: “So tomorrow I will introduce a bill that every single Republican voted on just 15 months ago – the bill that actually repeals Obamacare. Our plan has always been repeal in one piece of legislation and replace in the other. And that replacement we talked about a few weeks ago is the bill sponsored by Dr. Paul in the Senate and Mark Sanford in the House.”

Sen. Rob Portman, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Sen. Cory Gardner, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, 3/6/2017: “Senators Portman, Capito, Gardner & Murkowski Outline Need to Protect Medicaid Expansion Recipients, Especially Those With Opioid and Mental Health Treatment…We are concerned that any poorly implemented or poorly timed change in the current funding structure in Medicaid could result in a reduction in access to life-saving health care services.”

Republican Study Committee, 3/6/2017: “This is a Republican welfare entitlement…Writing checks to individuals to purchase insurance is, in principle, Obamacare.”

Sen. Rand Paul, 3/7/2017: “This is in all likelihood unconstitutional…This is ObamaCare Lite. It will not pass. Conservatives are not going to take it.”

Sen. Mike Lee, 3/7/2017: “We promised the American people we would drain the swamp and end business as usual in Washington. This bill does not do that…It is a missed opportunity and a step in the wrong direction.”

Sen. Roy Blunt, 3/7/2017: “What I don’t like is it may not be a plan that gets a majority votes and let’s us move on. Because, we can’t stay where we are with the plan we’ve got now.”

New York Times, 3/7/2017: “Even some Republicans were squeamish. ‘We need to see the score,’ said Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, who has a more moderate bill of his own to replace the law. ‘It would be difficult for me personally to make such a vote’ without one, he added.”

Rep. Justin Amash (Twitter), 3/7/2017: “Obamacare 2.0″

Rep. Louis Gohmert, 3/7/2017: ““It creates a new entitlement program and I’ve already heard from some constituents upset about [it]…We’re calling it tax credits, where we actually send people checks. I guess it’s another way to do the subsidy.”

Rep. Dave Brat, 3/7/2017: “Now [they] are saying we’re going to do repeal and replace but the bill does nothing of the sort…[Speaker] Paul Ryan has always said the entire rationale for this bill is to bend the cost curve down, and so far I have seen no evidence that this bill will bring the cost curve down.”

CONSERVATIVE LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS:
Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips, 3/7/2017: “This is simply not a full repeal of ObamaCare. It falls far short of the promises Republicans made to the American people in four consecutive federal elections.”

Americans for Prosperity Chief Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner and Freedom Partners Vice President of Policy Nathan Nascimento, 3/7/2017: “On behalf of the members of Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity, as well as the millions of Americans who entrusted the future of health care policy to you, we urge you to keep your promise, reject the House bill, and pass the full Obamacare repeal that Americans deserve.”

Tea Party Patriots President Jenny Beth Martin, 3/7/2017: “The bill that House Republicans released last night does not fully repeal Obamacare. Congressional Republicans must realize that Obamacare cannot be ‘fixed,’ because it is not fixable.”

Club for Growth President David McIntosh, 3/7/2017: “If this warmed-over substitute for government-run health care remains unchanged, the Club for Growth will key vote against it. Republicans should be offering a full and immediate repeal of Obamacare’s taxes, regulations, and mandates, an end to the Medicaid expansion, and inclusion of free-market reforms, like interstate competition.”

Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips, 3/7/2017: “I think [the Republicans] will have the shortest majority in modern America if they fail to repeal Obamacare.”

Heritage Action CEO Michael A. Needham, 3/7/2017: “Rather than accept the flawed premises of Obamacare, congressional Republicans should fully repeal the failed law and begin a genuine effort to deliver on longstanding campaign promises that create a free market health care system that empowers patients and doctors.”

Michael F. Cannon, Cato Institute, 3/7/2017: “The House GOP Leadership’s Health Care Bill Is ObamaCare-Lite — Or Worse”