Charles Krauthammer on how injurious it would be if the Obamacare replacement bill heralded by Speaker Paul Ryan is squashed by the House Freedom Caucus. Krauthammer also devises a scheme for Republicans to pass the bill through the Senate if they are unable to shepherd it through the House of Representatives. However, he notes if Republicans can pass the Obamacare reconciliation in the House then only a simple majority is required in the Senate, an easy feat.
"What Ryan has done, he's trying to obey the rules, do it through reconciliation, do it in three steps which is the reason why the Democrats have the upper hand," Krauthammer commented.
If all else fails Krauthammer said, Republicans will be able to say 'we tried,' and blame Democrats for the implosion of Obamacare.
From Tuesday's Special Report:
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: It will all depend on what the conservatives in the Freedom Caucus decide. They are the ones who can take it down. If they do, the injury to the Republicans and to the Trump presidency is going to be incalculable. In the end, they have to get it through the House.
If you want to be completely cynical about this and in the end try to bring the Democrats back in, you pass it through the House. You bring it to the Senate and instead of obeying all the rules of reconciliation, you put everything you want into it, into a bill in the Senate. And then you dare the Democrats to filibuster.
If they succeed in doing that, then the Republicans say they tried. We promised. We tried to get everything in that would rescue this health care system. And then what happens is you get the collapse of Obamacare. And again if you are playing a cynical game, you blame it on the Democrats.
What Ryan has done, he's trying to obey the rules, do it through reconciliation, do it in three steps which is the reason why the Democrats have the upper hand.
In the end, it must get through the House. That in and of itself would be the worst outcome for it to die, in the House at the hands of Republicans.
