WASHINGTON, D.C.— Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) joined Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” along with Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) last night to discuss the meeting they attended yesterday at the White House along with other RSC members where President Trump pledged his support for the House’s American Health Care Act to repeal and replace Obamacare. Scalise highlighted the broad support the bill is receiving from all wings of the Republican conference, and Hannity agreed that “there are a lot of good things in there” for conservatives.
On the conservative support for the bill:
“I’ve been talking to Freedom Caucus members directly Sean. And, in fact, today at the meeting with the RSC Chair Mark Walker and other RSC members there were two Freedom Caucus members there who said they’re going to vote for the bill, which included one member, Gary Palmer, who had voted against the bill in the Budget Committee yesterday. So with these changes–you talk about something revolutionary: block granting Medicaid, giving governors complete ability to block grant the Medicaid program. That’s a revolutionary reform conservatives have been wanting for decades. That ‘s agreed to by the President and will be in the bill and the work requirements…Those are big wins and that’s what brought some of the Freedom Caucus members that were in the room today to say that they’re now for the bill.”
On President Trump’s support:
“Like Marsha said, this bill is moving in the right direction and members are engaged. But what’s most important, Sean, is the President is directly engaged. President Trump said, ‘I’m behind this bill 100%.’ He wants this bill on his desk to repeal and replace Obamacare and put patients back in charge of their health care…His help is a lot. His help has been tremendous. And he’s rolled up his sleeves and got to work on this directly.”
On National Right to Life’s endorsement of the bill:
“Failure is not an option. But look at this, Sean: something else that just got included that today brought National Right to Life to write a letter of strong support for this bill. This will probably be one of the most pro-life pieces of legislation with the Hyde protections and defunding Planned Parenthood. That’s a big win too for conservatives.”
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