MORNING MESSAGE
Wisconsin and Illinois Activists Challenge House Speaker Paul Ryan
Hundreds
of Wisconsin and Illinois activists will brave snowstorms Tuesday to converge on
House Speaker Paul Ryan’s office in Racine, Wisconsin, to challenge the GOP’s
bid to take health care away from millions of Americans. The two groups leading
the event, Fair Economy Illinois and Citizen Action of Wisconsin, are affiliates
of the national organizing network People’s Action. The action is one of the
#ResistTrumpTuesdays events that have been held around the country since
January.
CBO Torches ACA Repeal
CBO
exposes Republican health care plan. NYT: “The House Republican plan to
replace the Affordable Care Act would increase the number of people without
health insurance by 24 million by 2026 … The budget office estimated that 52
million people would be uninsured in 2026 under the House Republican bill,
compared with 28 million projected under current law.”
A
leaked internal WH analysis predicts worse coverage. Politico: “The
executive branch analysis forecast that 26 million people would lose coverage
over the next decade, versus the 24 million CBO estimates. The White House has
made efforts to discredit the forecasts from the nonpartisan CBO.”
“It
Penalizes Older People” observes NYT’s Margot Sanger-Katz: “…the way the
bill achieves those lower average premiums has little to do with increased
choice and competition. It depends, rather, on penalizing older patients and
rewarding younger ones. According to the C.B.O. report, the bill would make
health insurance so unaffordable for many older Americans that they would simply
leave the market and join the ranks of the uninsured.”
GOP
staggered. Politico: “[Can’t sugarcoat it. Doesn’t look good,’ said Sen.
Bill Cassidy (R-La.) … Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas sought to
distance the Senate from the House bill, saying ‘we expect to do better’ … ‘I’m
concerned about the Medicaid population. That’s the biggest part of the coverage
for Ohio,’ said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) … Asked about the 24 million increase
in the number of Americans CBO says could be uninsured in 2026, Senate Finance
Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said: ‘Naturally, I’m concerned.'”
GOP
plan is cruel, finds TNR’s Brian Beutler: “… for all the GOP’s
vindictiveness, the collateral damage would be borne disproportionately by
Trump’s own supporters. By phasing out the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, Trumpcare
would leave the poor and near-poor far worse off, including the white rural poor
in states critical to Trump’s victory.”
Budget Battle Begins
Dems
ponder shutdown over immigration crackdown and Planned Parenthood. NYT: “In
a letter to Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader, Senator
Chuck Schumer and four other Democratic leaders made clear how far they were
prepared to go: ‘We believe it would be inappropriate to insist on the inclusion
of such funding in a must-pass appropriations bill that is needed for the
Republican majority in control of the Congress to avert a government shutdown so
early in President Trump’s administration.'”
Trump
budget goes to Congress. The Hill: “President Trump will send his budget to
Capitol Hill Thursday, setting off a brawl with Democrats as well as fellow
Republicans who are alarmed over a range of proposed deep cuts to federal
programs … Usually, spending fights are delayed until the late fall, but this
year there will likely be a showdown next month, as government funding is due to
run out on April 28 … The Republican chairmen of the Senate and House
Appropriations committees are taking a cautious approach, pledging only to
review the administration’s spending proposals carefully. But rank-and-file
members are rebelling already.”
Breakfast Sides
Gorsuch
consolidates support. Politico: “President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court
nominee has breezed through more than 70 meetings with senators. Opponents
who’ve scoured his record have found little to latch onto. And some Democrats
are privately beginning to believe that Gorsuch — barring a blunder at his
Senate confirmation hearings next week — will clinch the 60 votes he needs to be
approved without a filibuster.”
Businesses
seek to rollback new minimum wage hikes. American Prospect: “The business
lobby, however, isn’t letting the will of the people get in its way. Chambers of
commerce, restaurant organizations, and other opponents of a livable wage have
launched lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Arizona and
Washington ballot measures and have embarked on heavy-handed lobbying campaigns
in Maine to convince friendly Republicans (and even some Democrats) to undermine
the minimum-wage ballot measure.”
DNC
“unity” committee seeks to heal ideological divide. The Hill: “Former DNC
executive director Jennifer O’Malley Dillon is Clinton’s representative as the
group’s chair, while longtime union leader and Sanders confidant Larry Cohen is
the vice chair … [The committee will] debate over rules on caucuses and
primaries … The commission also has the power to conduct an autopsy on the
party’s disastrous 2016 [campaign] as it calls for recommendations on issues
like making the party more competitive across the country, empowering the
grassroots and cutting the reliance on big donors.”
Progressive
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