conservatives move to bring 2015 repeal bill to floor vote
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Roughly 15 months ago, every single House Republican supported a bill to completely repeal Obamacare, which would allow the Congress to start fresh on a replacement of the healthcare law. Most of those legislators subsequently campaigned on that vote, and on promises to vote to repeal Obamacare. This includes the entire Virginia Republican delegation.
In the interim came the election of President Trump, who also wanted to repeal Obamacare but wanted a replacement that preserved some of its central tenants. This desire was embodied in Speaker Ryan’s American Health Care Act (“AHCA”), introduced less than three weeks ago. The AHCA died today when House leaders realized that they did not have the votes to pass it. Moreover, they withdrew the legislation rather than allow a vote because there was a stampede among Republicans who, recognizing the bill was going to fail no matter how they voted, were eager to be on the conservative side of the issue (and protect their right flanks against future primary challenges). If a vote had been allowed, therefore, the defeat would have been of humiliating proportions for the President and the Speaker.
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