House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Tuesday talks about reviving the Republican bill to repeal and replace Obamacare are ongoing but noted that the discussions are in the conceptual stage.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference with other Republican leaders, Ryan said lawmakers are discussing how to improve the bill in order to get the 216 votes needed to pass the legislation.
“It’s premature to say where we are or what we’re on because we’re at that conceptual stage right now,” Ryan said. “We don’t have a bill text or an agreement yet, but this is the kind of conversations we want.”
Ryan described the talks as productive and praised the efforts of Vice President Mike Pence to bring members of the GOP together to try and reach a consensus.
The comments from Ryan come after Pence met with members of both the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the moderate Tuesday Group on Monday.
Following the meeting, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said he was “intrigued” by a White House proposal but stressed that no deal had been reached.
“No one made any definitive changes in terms of moving from ‘no’ to ‘yes,’ primarily because there’s not enough detail to do that,” Meadows said.
He added, “But I can tell you all the ‘no’s,’ every one of the ‘no’s,’ expressed a willingness to look at this in a very detailed manner.”
The White House proposal would purportedly allow states to apply for waivers from Obamacare regulations, including the requirement that insurers cover “essential benefits” such as hospital stays, mental health services and maternity care.
Opposition from several members of the House Freedom Caucus contributed to the decision by Republican leaders to withdraw the original bill last month.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: [email protected]
