The Batshit Caucus Shoots Down Leaked Obamacare “Replacement”

The GOP's Obamacare "replacement" bill that leaked last week is horrible. The bill would roll back Medicaid expansion, drastically reduce subsidies and increase premiums, and replace the individual mandate with a system that punishes you with higher premiums if you go an extended period of time without coverage for any reason.

But with all of that said, their fantasy replacement still isn't bad enough for some Republicans.

The chairman of the Batshit Caucus said last night that the GOP's nightmarish replacement is too liberal.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), who heads the House Freedom Caucus, told CNN Monday he would vote against a bill that looked like the leaked draft, and that other conservatives had similar concerns about the proposals' tax credits for individual insurance as well as its tax on the most generous employer-based plans.

"What is conservative about a new entitlement program and a new tax increase? And should that be the first thing that the President signs of significance that we sent to the new President?" Meadows said "A new Republican president signs a new entitlement and a new tax increase as his first major piece of legislation? I don't know how you support that -- do you?"

The Flying Monkey Caucus isn't alone.

A group of Republicans senators including the likes of Rand, son of Ron, joined their batshit colleagues in opposition last night.

"2 yrs ago, the GOP Congress voted to repeal Obamacare. That 2015 repeal language should be the floor, the bare minimum. #FullRepeal," said Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah, referring to a repeal bill that was vetoed by President Barack Obama.

Paul went on to call some GOP plans "Obamacare lite." Republicans would likely need 50 of the 52 GOP senators to vote for a repeal-and-replace bill, so the trio could sink any proposal they dislike.

A Freedom Caucus defection would be enough by itself to sink a bill before it even reaches the Senate but, in the event that the House does pass this bill or something similar to it, there are too many Republican in the Senate opposed to the plan to advance it any further.

Senator Susan Collins (R) is also opposed to the House GOP leadership's plan, but for different reasons. She believes repealing Medicaid expansion would be a big mistake. Several other Republican senators have also expressed skepticism toward the House plan.

The exact nature of their opposition is important because the elements conservatives oppose, such as the tax on employer-based healthcare, is how Speaker Paul Ryan intends to pay for his plan. And the refundable tax credits, which conservatives also oppose, are intended to be Ryan's replacement for health insurance exchange subsidies.

The most fundamental elements and basis for Ryan's entire plan are meeting the most opposition.

Wherever he is, John Boehner must be laughing his ass off.