Dems threaten to oppose short-term spending bill if health care vote happens this week
House Democrats are threatening to oppose a short-term spending bill if their Republican counterparts decide to hold a floor vote this week on legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare.
"If Republicans announce their intention to bring their harmful TrumpCare bill to the House Floor tomorrow or Saturday, I will oppose a one-week Continuing Resolution and will advise House Democrats to oppose it as well," said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, in a statement.
Hoyer said that Republicans are still struggling to find the votes to pass a bill and he suggested that they want to speed up a vote in order to avoid a public backlash.
"That's why they are trying to jam it through the House before their Members can hear from the American people this weekend about their opposition to this horrible legislation," Hoyer said.
House Republicans introduced a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that Congress must pass by Friday, that would fund the government for one more week to give negotiators more time to strike a larger spending deal that would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year, or Sept. 30.
The Freedom Caucus endorsed a new proposed piece to the health care bill Wednesday that Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-New Jersey, had introduced. His bill would allow states to receive federal waivers for certain Obamacare coverage requirements in an effort to encourage "fair health insurance premiums."
House GOP leaders called it a constructive addition and it should lead their conference to consensus. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, said that a floor vote will only happen once they have the floor votes. Last month, leadership failed to secure enough votes to back the original version of the bill.
