Premature Celebration

Rick Klein: “They stood together, at least long enough to enjoy a crisp spring afternoon in the Rose Garden. President Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan put together the team that delivered on a longstanding Republican dream, in a vote that solidifies Ryan’s hold on power and establishes a template for all that winning the president promised. But everyone is awake now. First comes the challenge of getting back to that same spot on the White House grounds for a ceremony that involves a bill becoming an actual law. Then comes the fallout: fiscal, political and personal. If anywhere near 24 million people lose their health insurance, or if out-of-pocket costs for people with pre-existing conditions spike, which Republicans would want to face voters with this as their signature achievement? Do they even have confidence that Trump would defend his own bill, especially given his newfound affinity for Australia’s publicly funded universal health care?”

“Trump-Ryan could be the perfect GOP partnership, so long as it lasts – a mix of legislative brawn and brains that delivers. Or it could all end horribly for the Republican Party, with a mix of policy and politics that provokes a backlash that might seem familiar to those who’ve watched health care debates play out before. Republicans were celebrating the day. But it’s worth noting that they weren’t even the ones gloating the loudest on the House floor.”