After Representative Tom MacArthur (R-NJ), the co-chairman of the moderate Tuesday Group, went behind the backs of his caucus and negotiated with the batshit Freedom Caucus to resurrect Trumpcare, members of the Tuesday Group privately discussed removing him as a chairman.
MacArthur has just saved them the trouble by resigning from his position in the Tuesday Group.
Rep. Tom MacArthur resigned Tuesday as co-chairman of the caucus of GOP moderates known as the Tuesday Group in the wake of deep divisions among its members over the House Obamacare replacement bill he helped craft.
"You can’t lead people where they don’t want to go," MacArthur said in an interview with POLITICO New Jersey Tuesday morning. "I think some people in the group just have a different view of what governing is."
No shit?
MacArthur's arrogance is astounding. He's was supposed to represent them, but he conspired against the expressed wishes of his own caucus to strike a deal with the devil and ultimately force some members of the caucus to walk the plank.
But why resign now? Why didn't he resign weeks ago?
My gut says he's resigning now because the House is probably going to be asked to vote for Trumpcare again after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scores it this week. Voting for it twice, including one vote after the CBO spells out the dramatic consequences of it, is probably a bit more than vulnerable House Republicans bargained for.
And MacArthur will be largely responsible for this. He unilaterally negotiated changes to the bill with the Freedom Caucus that he knew, or should have known, could not be included in a hypothetical bill that can pass through both chambers of Congress.
If moderate Republicans in Congress were mad at MacArthur before, they must be really pleased now after finding out they'll be asked to vote for Trumpcare again.
Trumpcare passed through the House with just 2 votes to spare. It's possible it won't be able to pass again after the CBO scores it and following MacArthur's resignation.