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As Republicans study an amendment to the American Health Care Act to see if it would revive the moribund effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, theyre wrestling over language that appears to benefit members of Congress and their staff and looking for a way to change it before any votes are called.

The language, first spotted by Vox health-care reporter Sarah Kliff, leaves a loophole in the McArthur-Meadows amendments waiversallowing insurers in states to cut back on theessential health benefits mandated by the ACA. Members of Congress or their staffers from a state that offers a skimpier set of standards would be able stay on the District of Columbias plan, which follows the ACA mandate.

Voxs story ran late Tuesday night, and by Wednesday morning, Republicans werereviewingthe loophole. One member who brought it up during the partys weekly conference meeting was told that the language might not stay in the bill.

[Conservative pressure groups throw weight behind GOP health-care deal]

In a scrum with reporters before the conference meeting, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said that the language was murky because the District is not a state. Later, leaving a meeting of the House Freedom Caucus, Meadows wasclearer about the need to strip the language.

If you look at the text, it actually penalizes members of Congress and people in D.C.,said Meadows, who did not explain howCongress and D.C. residents would be penalized. But we understand the optics, and were working on that to make sure that it gets fixed.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced a digital ad buy in the districts of 30 Republicans who either represented swing seats or had said theyd oppose the AHCA. The ad, stamped with the name of each targeted Republican, shows a Band-Aid under the word denied and an image of the Capitol under the word approved, accusing Republicans of twisting the rules to avoid personal pain.

Removing protections for people with preexisting conditions will go down in infamy as one of the most heartless acts of this Republican Congress, said DCCC spokesman Tyler Law. As proof of the repeal bills devastating impact, Republican members of Congress are exempting themselves from the punishment they are willing to inflict on their constituents.

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Republicans look to undo health-care loophole that appears to benefit members of Congress and staff - Washington Post

WASHINGTON Republicans, facing the refusal of Democrats to fund President Donald Trumps border wall in an upcoming spending bill, seem to have abandoned their wall construction demands as lawmakers work to avert a government shutdown.

No wall money in latest offer from Republicans, a congressional aide confirmed.

Although Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) declined to detail the talks, he and other members of the Democratic leadership team seemed convinced wall funding was now off the table. With that issue settled, Democrats suggested they were making real progress toward passing an omnibus spending bill by Friday, when government funding runs out.

The presidents 11th-hour demand [for wall money] threatened to upend the progress. Were pleased hes backing off, Schumer said.

Schumer added that there remain a number of outstanding issue. First and foremost, Democrats remain committed to making sure there are no poison-pill riders in this agreement, Schumer said, referring to amendments that are intended to be politically divisive.

The fact that the wall is now off the table, Americans should breathe a huge sigh of relief, Schumer said. The negotiations can resume and move forward.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images

Trump and other administration officials had previously indicated they would demand wall funding in the omnibus spending bill, with Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney raising the possibility that Republicans would offer dollar-for-dollar funding between a wall and Obamacare subsidies for low-income people.

But Democrats have been resolute that they wont accept money for a physical border wall in any spending bill. That leaves Republicans with an obvious choice: Either abandon their demand for wall funding, or insist on the money, try to make Democrats cave, and risk a potential government shutdown.

With Republicans in control of the House, the Senate, and the White House, Democrats were willing to bet that voters would blame the GOP for a shutdown and that a lapse in government funding would show that Trump and congressional Republicans cant govern. In short, Republicans had hardly any leverage, and Democrats knew it.

Republicans dont have the votes to pass an omnibus bill on their own. They need at least eight Democrats in the Senate to get 60 votes, and potentially many more Democrats in the House. Democrats, lacking the votes to pass a bill themselves, have taken a hard line on the spending bill, denying Trump and Republicans a number of policy priorities, including defunding Planned Parenthood, restricting money for immigration sanctuary cities, and blowing up the subsidy program for the Affordable Care Act.

Without those GOP wins, more and more Republicans have appeared apt to vote against the legislation, tilting further momentum toward Democrats. That has put Democrats in a position to fund their own priorities, like the Obamacare subsidies, and simultaneously troll Trump.

President Trump laid out his demands for this spending bill, and thankfully, Democrats and many Republicans in Congress have so far stood together to say absolutely not. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said Tuesday.

Murray continued that Trump had dropped all demands to defund Planned Parenthood, and hasnt said a word about the $18 billion in extreme [domestic spending] cuts that his fellow Republicans have simply ignored.

Allow Democrats and Republicans to work together, Murray added, and dont shut down the government to try to distract people from your failed 100 days in office.

There are still a number of issues for Democrats and Republicans to work out before they can reach a deal. Lawmakers have yet to settle on miners health provisions, Puerto Rico funding, or how much money the spending bill will deliver for Obamacare subsidies. Those unresolved issues could lead Republicans and Democrats toward another short-term funding bill for, say, a week or so.

But either way, its clear that Trumps most significant demand, perhaps his signature campaign promise the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border isnt going to happen soon.

That hasnt exactly deterred Trump or his administration. Department of Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan said recently that DHS could reprogram existing funding to cover the cost of wall prototypes.

None of this is going to happen in one fiscal year, Lapan said.

Elise Foley contributed reporting.

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Republicans Abandon Wall Funding Demand - Huffington Post

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) dismissed the idea of Congress funding extra Obamacare subsidies, called cost-sharing reductions, on April 25. "Obviously, CSRs, we're not doing that," Ryan said. "That's something separate that the administration does." (The Washington Post)

Now that House Republicans are officially refusing to fund extra Obamacare subsidies, theyre looking to the Trump administration to make the payments despite having sued the Obama administration for doing just that.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) confirmed Wednesday morning that funding for the subsidies, which insurers say are necessary to tamp marketplace premiums down, wont be included in a government funding bill that lawmakers are trying to pass this week.

Obviously, were not doing that, Ryan said. Thats not in an appropriation bill. Thats something separate that the administration does.

[Republicans offer spending plan without border wall]

House Republicans, however, spent the previous few years suing the Obama administration for giving insurers the subsidies without consent from Congress, as part of their long-standing barrage against the Affordable Care Act. Their lawsuit, which has been upheld by a federal-district court, argues that the administration was overstepping its authority in making the payments, as they didnt have a permanent appropriation within the health-care law.

That lawsuit now puts them in an awkward position. Republicans control both Congress and the White House, but they have so far failed to replace Obamacareas promised. The public is likely to blame them for problems with the law going forward, including its premium hikes, addingpressure to ensure insurers get the payments.

The subsidies, called cost-sharing reductions, are an obscure but important part of the Affordable Care Act that emerged as a sticking point as Congress negotiates a bill to fund the government past Friday. Last week, President Trump threatened that Republicans wouldnt fund them if Democrats blocked funding for a border wall.

They are available to the lowest-income enrollees in the laws insurance marketplaces those earning 100 to 250 percent of the federal poverty level to help them afford extra costs beyond their monthly premium, like co-payments and deductibles.

Health-care experts say the Affordable Care Act is stable, but President Trump and congressional Republicans could push it over the cliff into a "death spiral." (Daron Taylor/The Washington Post)

Insurers must offer the discounts, regardless of whether they get reimbursed by the federal government. Theyre arguing that without those reimbursements, theyll be forced to dramatically pump up premiums for everyone to cover the costs. The Kaiser Family Foundation has estimated premiums for mid-level silver plans would rise by 19 percent on average without the payments.

Now that Congress has refused to fund the payments, the only way for insurers to get them next year is if the Trump administration pays them out anyway. The administration hasnt said whether it will do so, or whether it will appeal a district-court ruling upholding the House lawsuit, reflecting the high political stakes at play.

If insurers dont get the payments and hike premiums as a result, resulting in Americans dropping their health coverage, it could create a backlash against Republicans. Moderates who are vulnerable in 2018 are particularly worried about this outcome. And leading Republicans in Congress, including Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden, have said the payments must be made.

But should his administration award the subsidies, Trump would appear to be propping up the health-care law that he had sharply criticized on the campaign trail.

[Trump must decide whether to support or undermine Obamacare]

Were Republicans moving forward on a sure path toward repealing and replacing big parts of the Affordable Care Act, Trump could argue he was protecting consumers in the interim. But that measure is currently in a holding pattern as Republicans have clashed over its aspects.

And if the Trump administration awards the subsidies and House Republicans dont criticize the move they risk looking hypocritical, since thats what they blasted President Barack Obama for doing.

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House Republicans look to Trump to fund Obamacare subsidies. They used to sue Obama over this. - Washington Post

Theyre holding marches and rallies, clogging Congressional phone lines, hosting forums and town halls, writing letters to the editor anything and everything to keep the heat up and public engaged. The question now is how to harness and leverage their energy.

Passion is driving the grassroots movement. But it takes more than passion to influence policy and elections. It takes a political party.

If you think about the life cycle of these groups, they get people fired up, they get people involved and then they become part of the formal structure, said Chris Cooper, political science professor at Western Carolina University. People who are putting a lot of time into politics eventually realize they need the parties.

It happened sooner than anyone expected, however.

Last month, progressives across North Carolina showed up in force on the doorstep of their local Democratic Party precinct meetings.. They werent just visiting. They pulled up a seat and settled in.

An alliance is absolutely necessary to effect change. We cant start a third party in Western North Carolina, said Amber Kevlin, 33, a leader of Progressive Nation WNC in Haywood County.

Kevlin is a newly minted precinct officer with the Haywood County Democratic Party, and shes not alone.

Dozens of activists with Progressive Nation WNC turned out for the Haywood partys annual precinct meetings and 15 of them now hold official party titles as precinct chairs or vice-chairs.

That was part of our plan, Kevlin said. If you really want to make some changes you have to get involved in the local party.

Almost overnight, the new wave of progressives came to comprise a quarter of the Haywood Democrats executive committee.

I am a big proponent if we want to change the system we have to do it from the inside out, said Chelsea White, 23, a founder of Progressive Nation WNC. We asked people who was willing to step up into leadership positions in the Democratic Party. It is a great opportunity for the progressive movement to utilize their voice inside the party.

Luckily, it wasnt seen as a hostile takeover.

We didnt storm. We simply showed up and wanted to know how we can help, said Mary Curry, a Progressive Nation member who took on a role as a precinct vice chair.

Rather than the traditional party stalwarts bucking the newcomers, they had a plate of cookies and extra chairs waiting.

A lot of older people stepped aside to let the younger people in, Kevlin said. They are very, very excited.

Indeed, thats a resounding sentiment throughout the party.

I am tickled to death to see all the new blood that is coming in, said Marietta Edwards, 75, a Cruso precinct chair. We need to keep people paying attention. Gracious, thats how we got in the mess were in.

Edwards was blown away when six new people showed up for the annual party precinct meeting in Cruso more than doubling their usual attendance. She passed the hat and raised more than $100 to help with rent for party headquarters.

I was flabbergasted because wed never been able to collect money at the precinct meeting before, Edwards said.

Meanwhile, Edwards has started going to the Progressive Nation meetings, a sign of cross-pollination thats working both ways.

The Democratic Party here is so ready for a change to be made. I think this election was a wake-up call that change needed to happen, said Natasha Bright, 40, another leader of Progressive Nation WNC.

Remarkably, the party stalwarts have put pride aside and readily admit they need the help.

Boy, are we happy to see Progressive Nation WNC come along, added Buffy Queen, a long-time Haywood Democrat. Some of us who have been in the party for years are battle-scarred in a way, so we need that fresh enthusiasm.

The progressive movement started organically outside the formal party structure but now stands to invigorate the traditional Democratic Party.

I am amazed and impressed in the level of enthusiasm theyve generated. I think it is fantastic, said Jon Feichter, a Waynesville businessman whos been involved in the Democratic Party for years.

Last month, Feichter passed the torch of precinct chair to a newcomer with Progressive Nation WNC. Hes one of several who have moved over to make way for the progressive infusion, and did so gladly.

Of the 15 party precinct positions progressives now hold, theres only one where a sitting Democrat tried to keep their seat but got out-voted by a progressive contingent at a precinct meeting.

It was not an ambush by any means, said Steve Ellis, a long-time party member and Waynesville attorney.

The credit for an amicable merger, rather than a hostile takeover, largely goes to Myrna Campbell, the chair of the Haywood Democratic Party. Campbell embraced Progressive Nation out of the gate, setting the tone for the rest of the party.

To me they have revitalized the Democratic Party, Campbell said. Thats where I think the positive impact of all this energy is. It will reactivate a lot of the people who havent been active.

Campbell worked the mainstream members of the party ahead of time to pave the way for the progressives.

I thought she did it really well, said Ellis. She makes a real effort to stay in touch with all the sort of subgroups within the party. It went much smoother than it could have because she didnt create a negative atmosphere or barrier to those people being able to participate.

Campbell not only reached out to her own party leaders, but also the leaders of Progressive Nation during their early formation.

I told them I want to work with you. I didnt want it to be You have your agenda and we have ours, Campbell recounted.

Campbells diplomacy, while sometimes tinged with tough love, has been a hallmark of her leadership style the past two years.

That was a goal of mine, to make it more inclusive and have a bigger tent, and I feel like I have done that, Campbell said. Some of it has just happened naturally.

The groundswell of progressive activists had energy to offer, and it made sense for the party to capitalize on it.

They were so discouraged after the election. They felt like they couldnt just say Oh well, we lost and not do anything, Campbell said. I wanted to get them working with the Democratic Party.

Its doubtful the progressives would have walked into a party precinct meeting on their own, however, if they hadnt been brought in first by Progressive Nation.

The party hierarchy hadnt been able to convince people to get involved at the local level, White said.

They needed a vehicle, and an invitation.

They hadnt really seen the way to get in before, Queen said. But Progressive Nation have made a big splash and said Come with us and well show you.

The trajectory of the current progressive movement has played out in American politics before.

I think these groups usually pop up because people are dissatisfied with the traditional party structure, Cooper said. But it almost functions like a gateway drug into the main party. If they are successful, theyre able to pull the party in their direction.

Chuck Dickson, a Waynesville lawyer whos long been involved in the Democratic Party, admitted party bureaucracy can be a turnoff.

It is kind of boring to have the precinct meetings and elect officers and take minutes and all these kinds of things, but there is a need for the structure that the party provides, Dickson said.

Dickson is the long-time organizer for the partys Get Out the Vote effort. He often sees an influx of volunteers who canvass and work polls during campaign season, but then melt away. Progressive Nation provided a venue to keep them involved.

I think it is a great thing, and I think many in the Democratic Party welcome the infusion of energy, Dickson said. It is time to get more spirit into the party.

The energized base trends younger and more progressive than the stereotype of a traditional mountain Democrat.

We are seen as a little more left, said Amber Kevlin, a Waynesville organizer behind the grassroots group Progressive Nation WNC.

Kevlin openly admitted shed like to push the party in a more progressive direction, much like the Tea party made the Republican Party more conservative over the past eight years.

We are the lefts answer to the Tea party, Kevlin said.

The Tea party emerged as a conservative backlash following Obamas victory in 2008 just like the Indivisible movement is a progressive backlash to Trumps victory.

Kevlin said theres a stark difference between the movements, however. The Tea party which stands for taxed enough already used aggressive, my-way-or-the-highway tactics to push out Republicans seen as too moderate.

We see Democrats as too moderate, but we still want to work together, Kevlin said.

While factions within a party can cause it to fracture, Feichter sees the allegiance holding. Inclusion is a fundamental tenet of the Democratic Party, he said, citing Hillary Clintons campaign anthem Stronger Together.

This is a prime example of that kind of mentality. We dont agree on everything but we do have a shared set of values and there is room for competing interests within that sphere, Feichter said.

The cooperative spirit could be chalked up to a honeymoon period, but many believe it will last.

The progressive group and establishment Democrats dont know each other all that well, but it seems like both sides are getting to know the other and working toward a common purpose rather than fighting with each other like it seems the Republicans have, Ellis said.

Like many involved in the progressive movement, Mary Curry got involved as a campaign volunteer first for Bernie Sanders, and then for Hillary Clinton. Typically, her activism would have stopped there.

This is not what I planned on doing in retirement. Taking hikes in the forest is what I wanted to do, said Curry, 68, who moved to Haywood County a year ago.

But after the election I felt like I had to do something productive.

She began attending Progressive Nation meetings, and soon found herself being courted for a role as vice chair of the Maggie Valley precinct.

The credit again goes to Campbell, chair of the Haywood County Democratic Party. Curry said Campbell invited her to lunch and asked her consider taking on the vacant vice chair role.

From the very beginning, Progressive Nation and the Democratic Party in Haywood County have been working hand in glove, Curry said. We are absolutely working for the same agenda. We want a country for everybody, not just the top 1 or 2 percent.

Curry believes the symbiotic relationship will continue.

Progressive Nation is the immediate action wing of the Democratic Party the way I look at it. We are in it for the long haul, Curry said.

Curry wasnt the only one Campbell courted from the progressives to fill vacant party precinct seats. Campbell was well aware that progressives planned to show up at precinct meetings, and given their numbers, they would likely have the votes to go head to head with mainstream Democrats for precinct positions. So Campbell tried to find places to include progressives in the party leadership where there wouldnt be any opposition from a sitting Democrat.

In most cases, the longstanding Democrats who had been in that position for years were ready to abdicate that role, Campbell said.

Bill Messer was among the Democratic Party stalwarts who eagerly handed over his precinct chair to a progressive.

Id had it for years. When you are working on 77, it is time for change, said Messer, who lives in Bethel. I figured she could do a better job.

Campbell had alerted all the precinct chairs in the county to expect an influx of progressives at their annual precinct meetings in late February. So when Riley Covin opened his Beaverdam precinct meeting, it was the first thing he addressed.

I asked if there was anyone from the progressive group there. If so, we wanted to make sure they knew they were welcome, Covin said.

Then something unusual happened. Covins precinct crafted a resolution to introduce at the county convention two weeks later pledging to work collaboratively with Progressive Nation WNC.

Somebody suggested we need to work with the Progressive Nation movement in Haywood County because we have such similar goals and frankly we need all the help we can get, Covin said. There are a lot of young people involved in the progressive movement and we could use their energy and ideas, so it benefits us.

The resolution is symbolic in nature, stating that the Haywood County Democratic Party recognizes a kindred spirit in Progressive Nation WNC and seeks common ground to cooperate with Progressive Nation whenever and wherever possible.

Many had no idea the resolution was coming at the county convention. Even Campbell wasnt sure how it would go down.

I thought there would be some resistance, but it was unanimous, Campbell said.

Haywoods resolution will move on the district convention, and then to the state convention. Campbell wagers there will be similar resolutions from other counties, and they will somehow be wrapped into an overarching version.

The same story playing out in Haywood County has happened across North Carolina. President Obama, in his farewell speech, incited Americans to get involved in local politics if they didnt like where the country was headed. Apparently, the progressives were listening.

All across the state in March, hundreds of progressives claimed seats as precinct chairs and vice chairs in their local Democratic parties. In Wake County, roughly half the 800 Democrats who attended the annual county convention last month were brand new to the party establishment.

The progressive movement recently lobbied for recognition as an official caucus within the state party. The proposal came from a contingent of former Bernie Sanders supporters, and was passed by the partys state executive committee in February. The recognition not only means symbolic clout but a designated seat at the partys leadership table.

The real test of unity between Democrats and progressives remains to be seen, however. The relationship could be strained come primary time, when progressive candidates will likely square off against moderates for a spot on the Democratic ticket.

Progressives pose a risk to the party if they push a more liberal candidate to the forefront. A self-described progressive may have trouble winning a general election in WNCs conservative districts.

But primary competition within a party always creates some strain.

I dont think there is any more potential for that now than there would normally be within the party, Campbell said. The party was strained between Bernie and Hillary.

For now, where someone falls on the progressive scale just isnt part of the conversation, given the larger obstacles Democrats are facing.

We just arent even having those discussions about ideology at all, Curry said. I have never seen the Democratic Party so united as it is right now.

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Late to the party? Democrats welcome progressives in symbiotic ... - Smoky Mountain News

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Cenk Uygur Denies Purity Tests For Progressives While ... The Daily Banter Why, how dare any of you neo-liberal corporate shills say that the hard left has purity tests?! That's just lie spread by the corrupt and useless establishment! and more »

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Cenk Uygur Denies Purity Tests For Progressives While ... - The Daily Banter