Two Democrats Back Gorsuch as McCain Seeks Deal to Avoid Fight

Two Democrats Back Gorsuch as McCain Seeks Deal to Avoid Fight-bloomberg: Two Democrats announced they’ll vote to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court as GOP Senator John McCain said he’s trying to reach a “long-term” deal to allow confirmation while saving the minority party’s ability to block future high court nominations.

Is'Obamacare' Repeal Dead -- Or A Legislative Zombie?-ap: President Donald Trump's plan to kill Obamacare died last week. Or maybe it didn't.

GOP revival of healthcare repeal makes little progress

GOP revival of healthcare repeal makes little progress-thehill: House Republicans insist they aren’t leaving for dead their effort to repeal ObamaCare.

Republicans Want to Keep at It on Health Care Overhaul

Republicans Want to Keep at It on Health Care Overhaul-rollcall: In a sign of the renewed Republican optimism surrounding a health care overhaul, several House GOP members say they still want to use the budget reconciliation process for the current fiscal year to pass legislation, effectively providing themselves with less than two months to get a deal.

Trump's surprise: calls CBC's Cummings three times to strategize

Trump's surprise: calls CBC's Cummings three times to strategize-axios: How serious is President Trump about drug prices? Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings tells me that Trump has called him three times to follow up on their conversation at the White House earlier this month. And Trump's not just talking about letting Medicare negotiate drug prices, Cummings says. It's even worse for Republicans — because Trump is also talking about importing cheaper drugs from other countries.

Lawmakers Hope to Avert Government Shutdown

Lawmakers Hope to Avert Government Shutdown-rollcall: After weeks of partisan fighting over health care and the Supreme Court, lawmakers have less than one month to come together and avert a government shutdown. Government funding for the 2017 fiscal year expires on April 28, five days after lawmakers return to the nation’s capital after a two-week recess. But negotiations appear to be moving forward.

Frustrated Trump looks to turn it around

 Frustrated Trump looks to turn it around-thehill: President Trump is looking for fast action to restore momentum after his crushing defeat in attempting to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Repeal of Affordable Care Act Is Back on Agenda, Republicans Say

Repeal of Affordable Care Act Is Back on Agenda, Republicans Say-nytimes: Under extreme pressure from conservative activists, House Republican leaders and the White House have restarted negotiations on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The Search for Intelligent Bipartisanship on Health Care

The Search for Intelligent Bipartisanship on Health Care-rollcall: With Republican leaders pausing their quest to overturn the 2010 health care law, rank-and-file lawmakers see an opportunity for outreach behind the scenes on the divisive issue.

Senate GOP Leaders Push for Health-Care Effort After House Plan Implodes

Senate GOP Leaders Push for Health-Care Effort After House Plan Implodes-bloomberg: Senate Republican leaders are pushing for a bipartisan health-care effort after the implosion of the House GOP’s Obamacare repeal legislation, but Democrats remain wary.

Focus turns to HHS after ObamaCare repeal fails

Focus turns to HHS after ObamaCare repeal fails-thehill: Health Secretary Tom Price has some authority to enact regulatory changes to ObamaCare, but experts say his wiggle room is minimal at best.

Price faces unwanted task of administering ObamaCare

Price faces unwanted task of administering ObamaCare-thehill: Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price came into office last month ready to lead the charge on repealing ObamaCare. Now, that effort has run into a brick wall, leaving him to oversee a law he fiercely opposes.

Lawmakers Predict GOP Bill Will Be 2018 Campaign Issue

Lawmakers Predict GOP Bill Will Be 2018 Campaign Issue-rollcall: Republicans won’t have a recorded vote on leadership’s health care plan but that doesn’t mean their position on it won’t be used against them in campaign ads in 2018.

With GOP Plan Dead, Trump Weighs Other Ways to Reshape Health Care

With GOP Plan Dead, Trump Weighs Other Ways to Reshape Health Care-wsj: With the collapse of Republicans’ health plan in the House on Friday, the Trump administration is set to ramp up its efforts to alter the Affordable Care Act in one of the few ways it has left—by making changes to the law through waivers and rule changes.

Leaders Plan to Scrap Health Reform, but Some in GOP See Path Forward

Leaders Plan to Scrap Health Reform, but Some in GOP See Path Forward-morningconsult: Republicans won’t have a recorded vote on leadership’s health care plan but that doesn’t mean their position on it won’t be used against them in campaign ads in 2018.

House Heads to Do or Die Vote on Health Care

House Heads to Do or Die Vote on Health Care-rollcall: Regardless of whether the votes are sewn up, the House will likely vote Friday on Republican leaders’ plan to partially repeal and replace the 2010 health care law — and President Donald Trump is willing to walk away from the effort if the measure fails in the chamber.

rump Tells G.O.P. It’s Now or Never, Demanding House Vote on Health Bill

rump Tells G.O.P. It’s Now or Never, Demanding House Vote on Health Bill-nytimes: President Trump issued an ultimatum on Thursday to recalcitrant Republicans to fall in line behind a broad health insurance overhaul or see their opportunity to repeal the Affordable Care Act vanish, demanding a Friday vote on a bill that appeared to lack a majority to pass.

House GOP Heads Into Health Care Vote ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’

House GOP Heads Into Health Care Vote ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’-rollcall: The outcome of Friday’s House vote to partially repeal and replace the 2010 health care law is not certain, but one thing is: All parties to the Republican negotiations will walk away with some losses.

White House Health Care Full-Court Press Changes Few Minds

White House Health Care Full-Court Press Changes Few Minds-rollcall: A White House in full-court press mode deployed President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to call out and fire up Republican members about the party’s health care overhaul bill, but there was scant evidence it worked.

Senators Working the Ref Already on Health Care Bill

Senators Working the Ref Already on Health Care Bill-rollcall: As House Republicans struggle to cobble together the votes to pass legislation to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law, members are already looking to navigate the Senate’s labyrinth of procedural rules that could make or break the measure.

Obamacare repeal in jeopardy as Trump offers 11th-hour concessions

Obamacare repeal in jeopardy as Trump offers 11th-hour concessions-politico: The Republican push to replace Obamacare – backed forcefully by President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan —is in jeopardy, as a last-ditch bid by the White House to win conservative support late Wednesday appeared to repel moderates.

Senate GOP Holdouts Split Into Camps on Obamacare Overhaul

Senate GOP Holdouts Split Into Camps on Obamacare Overhaul-bloomberg: The House is racing to find enough votes for its health-care bill this week, but even if it passes, prospects in the Senate have only darkened.

Trump’s Promise To Rein In Drug Prices Could Open Floodgate To Importation Laws

Trump’s Promise To Rein In Drug Prices Could Open Floodgate To Importation Laws-kaiserhealthnews: With prescription drug prices soaring and President Donald Trump vowing to take action, an old idea is gaining fresh traction: allowing Americans to buy medicines from foreign pharmacies at far lower prices.

Trump, GOP leaders lack votes to pass Obamacare repeal

Trump, GOP leaders lack votes to pass Obamacare repeal-politico: Despite a frantic lobbying effort, President Donald Trump and House GOP leaders are still short of the votes they need to pass their Obamacare replacement bill, just two days before the legislation is set to be taken up on the floor.

McConnell and Paul Frame Outcome for GOP Health Care Overhaul

McConnell and Paul Frame Outcome for GOP Health Care Overhaul-rollcall: Over all the years that Mitch McConnell attended college basketball games at Freedom Hall, the Louisville alumnus probably never envisioned a scene like what played out Monday night.

CMS delays expansion of bundled payment programs

CMS delays expansion of bundled payment programs-modernhealthcare: The CMS has delayed the expansion of a major bundled payment pilot, Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement, and the implementation of its bundled payment initiatives for cardiac care from July 1 to Oct. 1, 2017, according to an interim final rule posted to the Federal Register. It also delayed, for a second time, the effective date of a final rule laying out the implementation of CJR and other bundled payment programs, from March 21 to May 20, 2017.

Trump storms Capitol with healthcare plan on the line

Trump storms Capitol with healthcare plan on the line-thehill: GOP leaders believe they are within striking distance of the votes needed to pass their ObamaCare repeal-and-replace plan.

Republicans Focusing on Health Bill Changes as Leaders Seek Support

Republicans Focusing on Health Bill Changes as Leaders Seek Support-morningconsult: House Republicans plan to vote Thursday on a reconciliation bill that would repeal and replace significant parts of the Affordable Care Act, with the House Rules Committee set to mark up the legislation Wednesday.

Hospitals have a labor problem

Hospitals have a labor problem-axios: Hospitals across the country have benefited from Obamacare's insurance expansions, and they hired physicians, nurses, technicians and others in droves to handle the influx of newly insured patients. But now hospitals face tough choices about what they should do with their increasingly expensive staffs if millions of Americans lose health coverage under the Republican Obamacare replacement.

Ryan Plans Tweaks to Health-Care Bill to Help Older People

Ryan Plans Tweaks to Health-Care Bill to Help Older People-bloomberg: House Speaker Paul Ryan said he would “most likely” bring a health-care bill forward for a floor vote on Thursday, even as he seeks to increase tax credits to help older people buy insurance to tamp down concerns about moderate Republicans.

Five things to watch for in Supreme Court showdown

Five things to watch for in Supreme Court showdown-thehill: Hearings on the confirmation of President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch kick off this week.

Budget panel advances ObamaCare bill with three GOP defections

Budget panel advances ObamaCare bill with three GOP defections-thehill: The House Budget Committee approved the GOP's ObamaCare repeal and replacement plan 19-17 Thursday morning, with three Republicans voting no.

Trump and Ryan: Health Bill May Test Marriage of Convenience

Trump and Ryan: Health Bill May Test Marriage of Convenience-nytimes: President Trump, once the master pitchman for namesake vodka, steaks and now-moldering casinos, seems disinclined to attach his surname to the health care bill some allies have derided as “Ryancare.”

Shutdown politics return to the Senate

Shutdown politics return to the Senate-thehill: Senators are firing the opening salvos in a new fight over funding the government.

ObamaCare showdown set in Budget Committee

ObamaCare showdown set in Budget Committee-thehill: Republican leaders have portrayed a united front in their effort to overhaul ObamaCare, but the cracks are likely to show on Thursday when the House Budget Committee marks up the GOP’s healthcare legislation.

HHS Secretary vows GOP health care bill is 'so much better' than Obamacare

HHS Secretary vows GOP health care bill is 'so much better' than Obamacare-cnn: Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price -- a former congressman and a longtime critic of Obamacare — forcefully defended the House Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare on Wednesday night, even as the legislation continues to face fierce backlash and bleed support.

Ryan Open to Changing Health Bill As GOP Struggles to Reach Agreement

Ryan Open to Changing Health Bill As GOP Struggles to Reach Agreement-morningconsult: House Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday that the GOP health care bill would be amended before the measure came to the floor.

Trump seeks changes to health plan to placate far right

Trump seeks changes to health plan to placate far right-politico: President Donald Trump on Tuesday night asked House GOP leaders to incorporate a handful of changes into their Obamacare repeal bill, a request that comes as the White House seeks to woo the far right.

G.O.P. Senators Suggest Changes for Health Care Bill Offered by House

G.O.P. Senators Suggest Changes for Health Care Bill Offered by House-nytimes: A day after a harsh judgment by the Congressional Budget Office on the House plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, nervous Senate Republicans on Tuesday suggested changes to the bill.

Rattled by CBO report, moderate Republicans turn against GOP bill

Rattled by CBO report, moderate Republicans turn against GOP bill-cnn: A devastating analysis from the Congressional Budget Office on the House GOP bill to repeal Obamacare has rattled moderates Republicans in the House, who are uneasy about the prospects of voting for a proposal that increasingly appears dead on arrival in the Senate.

A Key Part of the GOP’s Plan to Overhaul the Tax Code Is in Deep Trouble

A Key Part of the GOP’s Plan to Overhaul the Tax Code Is in Deep Trouble-bloomberg: Since Donald Trump’s surprise election victory, the president and Republican leaders in Congress have described tax reform as a top priority—a once-in-a-generation chance to overhaul the tax code in a way that lowers rates for companies and individuals, encourages businesses to make things at home instead of abroad, and ends incentives for companies to book profits overseas. All without raising the budget deficit.

Mike Lee Doubts House GOP Health Plan Complies With Senate Rules

Mike Lee Doubts House GOP Health Plan Complies With Senate Rules-rollcall: Sen. Mike Lee is suggesting that a ban on federal funding for abortion in the House health care bill might not survive a procedural challenge on the Senate floor.

Trump to draw battle lines with his budget

Trump to draw battle lines with his budget-thehill: 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.

REPUBLICANS SET LOW EXPECTATIONS FOR HEALTH BILL COST STUDY

REPUBLICANS SET LOW EXPECTATIONS FOR HEALTH BILL COST STUDY-ap: Republicans pushing a plan to dismantle Barack Obama's health care law are bracing for a Congressional Budget Office analysis widely expected to conclude that fewer Americans will have health coverage under the proposal, despite President Donald Trump's promise of "insurance for everybody."

CBO Score Will Ring in Another Round of House Fight

CBO Score Will Ring in Another Round of House Fight-rollcall: All eyes this week are off the floor as Capitol Hill awaits a Congressional Budget Office score for House Republicans’ health care plan and the House Budget Committee prepares to mark up the plan.

Dems' secret weapon for killing GOP's ObamaCare replacement?

Dems' secret weapon for killing GOP's ObamaCare replacement?-thehill: An obscure office within the Department of Health and Human Services could play a major role in determining the fate of the House Republican bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

Top vote counter on ObamaCare bill: 'We're gonna get this done'

Top vote counter on ObamaCare bill: 'We're gonna get this done'-thehill: The top vote-counter in the House says there is no doubt that the Republican ObamaCare repeal and replace bill will pass.

Budget referee may call foul on Obamacare repeal

Budget referee may call foul on Obamacare repeal-politico: The fate of Obamacare may lie in the hands of a number-crunching Republican appointee whose bottom line might single-handedly blow up the GOP quest to repeal and replace it.

After Halting Start, Trump Plunges Into Effort to Repeal Health Law

After Halting Start, Trump Plunges Into Effort to Repeal Health Law-newyorktimes: President Trump, after a halting start, is now marshaling the full power of his office to win over holdout conservatives and waffling senators to support the House Republicans’ replacement for the Affordable Care Act.

Conservatives meet with Trump, who hints that GOP ACA fix could drift further right

Conservatives meet with Trump, who hints that GOP ACA fix could drift further right-washingtonpost: Leaders of conservative groups that oppose the House Republicans’ health-care bill met with President Trump at the White House on Wednesday night, part of a high-profile effort to quiet anger from the right.

Democrats thwart progress on Obamacare repeal

Democrats thwart progress on Obamacare repeal-politico: House Democrats on Wednesday fought to stall an Obamacare repeal bill that Republicans, still facing deep intraparty divisions over the measure, are trying to push toward the House floor and eventually the White House.

Barton Will Offer Amendment to Speed Up Medicaid Rollback

Barton Will Offer Amendment to Speed Up Medicaid Rollback-morningconsult: One Republican congressman wants the GOP to roll back the Medicaid expansion even sooner than proposed in a health care bill that overhauls the Affordable Care Act, highlighting the continued divisions within the party.

House Republicans release long-awaited plan to replace Obamacare

House Republicans release long-awaited plan to replace Obamacare-washingtonpost: House Republicans on Monday released long-anticipated legislation to supplant the Affordable Care Act with a more conservative vision for the nation’s health-care system, replacing federal insurance subsidies with a new form of individual tax credits and grants to help states shape their own policies.

GOP Needs Trump’s Salesmanship to Advance New Obamacare Plan

GOP Needs Trump’s Salesmanship to Advance New Obamacare Plan-bloomberg: Republicans in Congress hope a new draft bill released Monday night will jump-start their stalled Obamacare repeal effort, though the most important factor may be how hard President Donald Trump works to sell it to lawmakers.

Conservatives pan House Obamacare repeal bill

Conservatives pan House Obamacare repeal bill-politico: A handful of House conservatives on Monday evening criticized GOP leadership's newly released Obamacare replacement bill, foreshadowing trouble for the repeal effort even after leaders tried to assuage the far-right.

U.S. Republicans expected to unveil healthcare bill this week

U.S. Republicans expected to unveil healthcare bill this week-reuters: Republican U.S. lawmakers expect to unveil this week the text of long-awaited legislation to repeal and replace the Obamacare healthcare law, one of President Donald Trump's top legislative priorities, a senior Republican congressional aide said on Sunday.

REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE PUSH COMING; SUCCESS A QUESTION MARK

REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE PUSH COMING; SUCCESS A QUESTION MARK-ap: Republicans seem set to start muscling legislation through Congress reshaping the country's health care system after seven years of saber rattling.

Obstacles ahead as GOP begins ObamaCare repeal

Obstacles ahead as GOP begins ObamaCare repeal-thehill: Republicans who have vowed for years to “repeal and replace” ObamaCare are now seeking to turn their campaign pledge into reality, with markups of legislation potentially beginning this week.

House Panel to Mark Up Obamacare Repeal Bill Next Week, Trump Ally Says

House Panel to Mark Up Obamacare Repeal Bill Next Week, Trump Ally Says-morningconsult: A House panel is expected to vote next week on legislation that would gut the Affordable Care Act, a key congressional ally of President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday.

Trump CMS Nominee Gets Second Vote After Tie in Senate Committee

Trump CMS Nominee Gets Second Vote After Tie in Senate Committee-bloomberg: The Senate Finance Committee will vote again Thursday on President Donald Trump’s nominee to head U.S. health programs for the elderly, poor, and disabled after an initial tally resulted in a tie.

Trump’s words on Obamacare stir up intraparty feud

Trump’s words on Obamacare stir up intraparty feud-washingtonpost: President Trump ascended the bulliest of pulpits Tuesday to address a joint session of Congress. It turns out it was his fellow Republicans who needed some bullying — specifically, on their plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Republican Unity on Health Care Is Elusive, Despite Trump’s Support

Republican Unity on Health Care Is Elusive, Despite Trump’s Support-nytimes: President Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night buoyed House Republican leaders who were hopeful that his leadership would unite fractious lawmakers around a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. But fundamental disagreements still divide Republicans on one of the central promises of their 2016 campaigns: repealing the health law.

Republicans near make-or-break moment on Obamacare repeal

Republicans near make-or-break moment on Obamacare repeal-politico: Republicans are having a break-the-glass moment on Obamacare. After promising for years to upend the Democratic health care law the first chance they got — and with plans to hold a vote to repeal by early April — the party remains far from consensus.

New Ways and Means Ranking Democrat Looks for Bipartisanship in Tax Overhaul

New Ways and Means Ranking Democrat Looks for Bipartisanship in Tax Overhaul-rollcall: Rep. Richard E. Neal of Massachusetts aims to counter conservative priorities of President Donald Trump, while seeking a few shared trophies as the new top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee.

Softer Trump storms the Capitol

Softer Trump storms the Capitol-thehill: A disciplined President Trump stormed Capitol Hill late Tuesday bearing a few olive branches for Democrats, some red meat for conservatives and a softer tone that surprised members in both parties.