Cassidy can save health care, if Trump will help out
A simple announcement can take abortion off the table
(Jan. 8 print edition, by Quin)
U.S. Sen Bill Cassidy of Louisiana may be poised to pull a health care rabbit from his legislative hat, to the whole country’s benefit. President Donald Trump, though, may hold the magic wand.
To understand what is happening in congressional health policy negotiations requires a bit of reading invisible ink, but that doesn’t mean the writing isn’t there, ready for revelation. So, here goes:
As chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and as a policy wonk who has pushed the only major framework for a health care bill that seems viable for bipartisan support, the Republican Cassidy early this week was in heavy negotiations among a group of about 12 Republican, Democratic and independent senators. The next morning, Trump told House Republicans that their party must be “flexible” on language similar to the Hyde Amendment, a federal law banning federal funds from being used for abortions (except in the case of rape, incest or threat to the life of the mother).
The invisible ink says this: The only reason Trump would focus on Hyde is if senators are within range of agreement on everything else. That “else” is likely to include three key provisions similar to ones in Cassidy’s original proposal….
For now, though, let’s set aside any more detailed discussions of those three elements, other than to emphasize the admirably substantive nature of what may be a developing consensus. The key thing is that if Trump suddenly is talking about Hyde language, that means it, not the other substance, is probably the remaining stumbling block.
Almost all Republicans want Hyde protections explicitly added to any new law dealing with Obamacare subsidies, while almost all Democrats refuse to accept any new language. Trump seems to be telling Republicans on Capitol Hill that they must compromise somehow on either the existence or the wording of Hyde language.
Trump, though, has the power in his own hands. Here’s how:…. [The full column is at this link.]
