Conservatives Brave Freezing Temps to Rally for ‘Real Repeal’

To defeat Democratic plans to keep Obamacare, first you have to defeat Republicans.

That was the message from C.L. Bryant, a senior fellow at FreedomWorks, one of the original tea party groups that fought Obamacare in 2010.

“We were not campaigning for ‘Obamacare Lite.’ We don’t want any of it.”

His message comes at a time when FreedomWorks’ favorite lawmakers are on the verge of killing a House Republican leadership plan for Obamacare repeal that has the backing of the White House. The health care reform package needs to be approved by the House Budget Committee, and it may not have the votes to proceed.

Bryant was speaking to hundreds of conservatives — and dozens of reporters — who assembled in freezing temperatures at Upper Senate Park at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday afternoon. The rally was organized by FreedomWorks, who later in the day led members on quests into the Capitol to pressure lawmakers.

At stake is the American Health Care Act, which may not survive in its current form. The bill, which partially repeals the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), is opposed by the leadership of FreedomWorks, and, more crucially, the congressmen who consider the activist group a key part of their constituency.

“Our members fought hard for repeal,” Adam Brandon, FreedomWorks president, told LifeZette at the rally. “They look at what’s going on right now as being a little bit too complicated. They remember the 2015 vote where you only had five Republicans who voted against the [Obamacare repeal] … Ninety-nine percent of people here would love to see that bill dusted off and sent to Trump.”

FreedomWorks will lobby Congress with various actions through April 15. But first, they kicked off with a rally.

The rally lined up three Republican senators and three Republican House members to get up and denounce House Speaker Paul Ryan’s first real attempt at repealing Obamacare.

Ironically, Ryan’s biggest obstacle to repealing Obamacare is the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which has about 40 votes — well enough to kill a bill within the Republican-led House without picking up Democratic votes.

The Republicans also face problems in the Senate. The Senate has 52 Republican members. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has already said he would vote against the bill, which he calls “Obamacare Lite.”

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), who also spoke at the rally, have also expressed dissatisfaction with the bill, as has Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas).

Paul lit into the bill on Wednesday afternoon to cheers, as he urged FreedomWorks’ members to hound Republicans via the phones.

“So you when you go home, activate your email network, call your neighbors,” said Paul. “Tell ’em to call any of the weak-kneed Republicans that every damn one of us went to work for, that we were not campaigning for ‘Obamacare Lite.’ We don’t want any of it.”

Paul told the crowd the GOP needs to completely repeal Obamacare — what he calls “real repeal.”

Paul told reporters after his speech conservatives need to demonstrate to Republican congressional leaders that they have the votes to kill the repeal bill.

Cruz wants the Congress to take the unusual step of avoiding a filibuster in the Senate by throwing all three phases of the White House plan into the first phase — the AHCA.

Phase two would rely on Tom Price, secretary of Health and Human Services, to use executive power to change regulations. Price has statutory power to remove regulations on health insurance.

Phase three would be a bill that could be filibustered — which is the biggest hurdle for the final step. The AHCA cannot be filibustered because it is part of “budget reconciliation.”

But it may not be Ted Cruz or Rand Paul who have the most sway right now. The bill is Ryan’s brainchild, and it must now get through the House Budget Committee.

Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.) is on the House Budget Committee, where the bill could die. It comes before the budget committee on Thursday, and Brat told reporters he would vote against it.

Before Cruz spoke, Brat stood the side of the platform and spoke to LifeZette, indicating he eyes one improvement congressional leaders could make via amendments.

“Put phase two … in the bill,” said Brat. “Then you get real markets for markets and medical care again.”