Quick Takes on Ryan's Healthcare Flop

by Rod D. Martin
March 24, 2017

My quick takes on Ryan's health care flop today.

1. As I've said repeatedly, the Republicans should have passed a one-sentence repeal bill on or about January 21, sunsetting Obamacare at some arbitrary point in the future (my preference would be October 1 "or sooner"). This would have been very difficult for the RINOs to oppose, would have given plenty of time for dealmaking, and above all would have kept Republicans' longstanding and most central promise.

2. Having failed to do that (almost certainly Ryan's fault, not the White House's), Republicans got forced into this awkward three-stage deal. They might have had to do that anyway due to procedural hurdles in the Senate, but that just begs the question: McConnell should invoke the nuclear option on all legislation whatsoever, since we absolutely know we're going to do it on Gorsuch, and the Democrats will do it the very next time they're in the majority even if we don't. That would have solved the proble…