REPUBLICANS LIKE TO FALL INTO LINE, DEMOCRATS ...

LIKE TO FALL IN LOVE.  This saying was popularized (but did not originate) by President Clinton..  We just had a demonstration of this in the recent passage of the American Health Care Act bill by the House of Representatives that is actually a tax cut bill masquerading as a health bill..

Many so-called Republican "moderates"* (Tuesday caucus)  originally opposed the bill as put forth because it would take away the Medicaid expansion from the ACA (Affordable Care Act).**  This opposition was because their districts had many people who were on the Medicaid expansion.  Thus, they were afraid that, if these people lost their Medicaid, reelection might not be possible.  There was also a group of ultra conservative Republicans (Freedom caucus) opposed to the original bill because it was what they called Obamacare Lite.**  Plus they wanted the money in Medicaid expansion to give it to the wealthiest Americans as a huge tax cut plus some extra for future tax cutting.

So the bill was modified by the Rep. MacArthur Amendment to make it even more conservative.  A couple of the "moderate" Republicans were given an excuse to "fall-in-line" and support the revised bill by adding $8 billion to the High Risk pool to cover people who had dropped out of health insurance but then rejoined but now had  pre-existing health conditions.

However, the revised bill still eliminated the Medicaid expansion that was the reason they originally opposed the AHCA.  We will see if, what they sold their souls for, will appeal to their constituents.


* There no longer anything like a moderate Republican.  People now given this title may be somewhat less ultra conservative than some in the Republican party, but they are still very conservative compared to the Republican party of say 1964-1965 when many Republicans supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
** The Freedom caucus really doesn't want a government health care act at all  (http://stopcontinentaldrift.blogspot.com/2017/03/trumps-base-escapes-silver-bullet.html).