Conservatives Stay Cautiously Optimistic on Obamacare

While congressional Republicans appear to hem and haw about the repeal and replacement of Obamacare, there is surprisingly little trepidation at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

The annual event is perhaps the biggest conservative political gathering of the year.

“I think the time is now, while we have the mandate.”

It’s where you would expect to hear the first rumblings of impatience with Republicans slow-walking the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, after years of GOP lawmakers promising conservatives a swift and complete repeal.

That promise was key to the Republicans taking majority status in the House of Representatives in 2010, and then the Senate in 2014. And the promise of repeal helped propel Donald Trump into the White House.

But at a retreat in late January, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said there is so much to do in the new Congress, they had to expand their plans from 100 days to a so-called “200-Day Agenda.”

One reason is the Senate has a few more responsibilities, including the approval of Cabinet and judicial nominees.

Even so, Republicans heard repeatedly that the GOP would move quickly to repeal Obamacare. Yet there was surprisingly little complaining at CPAC Friday, as thousands of conservative and Tea Party members descended on a Washington under historic GOP control.

One reason for that is Trump himself. Speaking to an enthused crowd at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel Friday morning, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to a full repeal and replace Obamacare.

Trump made the promise while the process on Capitol Hill appears increasingly called.

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee likely won’t be marking up a repeal bill until the first week of March, because the Congressional Budget Office sent cost estimates to House Republicans that they did not expect, according to The Hill.

Republicans are also balking at replacing Obamacare revenue models with a tax on expensive but popular health plans in the private market.

The slow moves on repeal had previously drawn the ire of some conservative influencers. Matt Drudge, the influential conservative aggregator, tweeted on Feb. 8 that the Republicans should be “sued for fraud” for inaction on Obamacare repeal and tax reform.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer responded by saying the repeal is a “mammoth” thing to do, and it’s important to get it right.

The implementation of Obamacare itself was a mammoth undertaking, fraught with high costs, sticker shocks, and a failed website unveiling. And health insurance companies are still dropping out of former President Obama’s ailing health care program.

Conservatives at CPAC said Republicans should learn from the Democrats’ rush passage of Obamacare in 2010, and the GOP should be wary of making moves too quickly.

“The last thing we want is for Republicans to make the same mistakes Democrats made in 2009-2010,” said Jim Geraghty, a contributor to National Review magazine. “Rushing through, not paying attention to details, and leave people as frustrated as before.”

Conor Fogarty, a member of Students for Liberty, traveled all the way from Athens, Ohio, to CPAC. He wore a bright “repeal” sticker on his lapel while standing at his group’s booth. But he said he wasn’t worried about the delays.

“We don’t have a set plan which will be better,” said Fogarty, 21.

Fogarty said a replacement plan will be tricky.

“Trying to control and centrally plan something is impossible,” said Fogarty.

Ed Morrissey, a senior editor of Hot Air, said he has no worries if the Republicans take until August, as long as the GOP gets it right.

Still, some Republicans realize complete GOP control of Capitol Hill is relatively rare, and that should guide the Republicans to move as quickly as possible this year.

Gov. Jim Gilmore, the former Virginia chief executive and a former Republican National Committee chairman, said he wants certain parts of Obamacare gone, such as the coverage mandate. He also wants the market to be a larger part of health care choices.

“I think the time is now, while we have the mandate,” said Gilmore.