Rep. Greg Walden on Tuesday expressed confidence that some last-minute tweaks to the House GOP’s health care bill and a push from President Trump will be enough to get it over the top later this week.
Mr. Walden, Oregon Republican, said that with the changes, unveiled Monday, they’re earning support “every day, every minute, every hour.”
“I think we’ll have the votes,” he told radio host Hugh Hewitt.
“This is the make-or-break vote. I’m not aware of any plan B,” he said.
The House Rules Committee is expected to take up the bill on Wednesday ahead of a planned Thursday floor vote.
“This is Donald Trump’s signature issue in the administration so far,” he said.
The changes include moving up the repeal of certain Obamacare taxes from 2018 to 2017, paving the way to increase tax credits for people ages 50-64, and allowing states to opt in on block granting Medicaid and implementing a work requirement for Medicaid recipients.
Mr. Trump is also scheduled to attend a House GOP conference meeting on Tuesday to rally his troops on Capitol Hill.
“Nobody knows how to close a big agreement better than the president of the United States,” Mr. Walden said.
Mr. Walden chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee and has been helping spearhead the push to pass the legislation.
Proponents of the American Health Care Act have also cast the initial bill as just one of three phases of Obamacare repeal that will also include regulatory changes and more legislation.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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