Inside the GOP’s Health Care Debacle

Politico

"Eighteen days that shook the Republican Party—and humbled a president."

. . . "The group of roughly 30 House conservatives, gathered around a mammoth, oval­shaped conference table in the Cabinet Room of the White House, exchanged disapproving looks. Trump wanted to emphasize the political ramifications of the bill's defeat; specifically, he said, it would derail his first­term agenda and imperil his prospects for reelection in 2020. The lawmakers nodded and said they understood. And yet they were disturbed by his dismissiveness. For many of the members, the "little shit" meant the policy details that could make or break their support for the bill—and have far­reaching implications for their constituents and the country. 

" 'We’re talking about one­fifth of our economy," a member told me afterward.

"Ultimately, the meeting failed to move any votes. Two Freedom Caucus members—Brian Babin and Ted Poe, both of Texas—told the president that they had switched to yes, but their decisions had already been registered with White House vote­counters prior to sitting down with Trump. (Their colleagues didn't appreciate the gesture, feeling that Babin and Poe were trying to score points with the president at their expense.) Upon returning to Capitol Hill, the Freedom Caucus gathered in a meeting room inside the Rayburn office building, discussed Trump's admonitions to them and took another vote. The tally had not changed: Of the group’s roughly three dozen members, two­thirds remained opposed, with only five or six of those saying they were "soft" in that stance. " . . .

Via Lucianne

days that shook the Republican Party—and humbled a president.
Eighteen days that shook the Republican Party—and humbled a president.