Yesterday, Republicans partied about their vote. Now comes the brutal hangover. – Washington Post (blog)
As President Trump and Republicans celebrate the passage of the GOP health-care bill in the House, The Post's Jonathan Capehart offers this piece of advice: Enjoy it while you can. (Adriana Usero,Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
THE MORNING PLUM:
As House Republicans were gearing up to pass their repeal-and-replace bill Thursday, reporters spottedcases of beers being rolled through the Capitol. It was not established whether the beers were related to their vote, but Republicans and President Trump did party in the Rose Garden to celebrate the bills passage notwithstanding that it would result in 24 million fewer people covered over 10 years; gut protections for people with preexisting conditions; and slash spending on Medicaid by $800 billion while delivering to the rich an enormous tax cut.
Today, House Republicans are waking up to a big set of brutal ratings changes from the Cook Political Report. In the wake of the vote, Cook has shifted 20 GOP-held seats toward Democrats. Yes, 20.
The House passage of the bill guarantees Democrats will have at least one major on-the-record vote to exploit in the next elections, Cook analyst David Wasserman writes, adding that the GOP passage of a bill this unpopular is consistent with past scenarios that have generated a midterm wave.
The changes shift three House GOP districts from Lean Republican to Toss up; another 11 from Likely Republican to Lean Republican; and another six from Solid Republican to Likely Republican. Virtually all the Republicans in those districts voted for the health-care bill.The result is that overall, Cooks ratings now putapproximately two dozen GOP-held seats in the Toss Up or Lean Republican categories, meaning that they seem vulnerable as of now and Democrats must flip 24 House seats to win the lower chamber.
After passing the revised health-care plan in the House on May 4, Republican members of Congress headed back to their home districts - often to face the ire of angry constituents. (Reuters)
Many more somewhat less vulnerable Republicans voted for the bill, too, potentially putting even more seats within reach. Not only did dozens of Republicans in marginal districts just hitch their names to an unpopular piece of legislation, Democrats just received another valuable candidate recruitment tool, Wasserman added.(Another 20 or so are in the Likely Republican category, which are harder to reach, but its not impossible that the political environment could deteriorate further for House Republicans in coming months.)
Other analysts have reached similar conclusions. Daily Kos Stephen Wolf posted this chart, showing that 24 of the House Republicans who voted for the health-care bill come from districts where Trump carried less than 50 percent of the vote, 14 of them won by Hillary Clinton:
Meanwhile, Nate Silver takes stock of the abysmal unpopularity of the bill and concludesthat the vote for it could prove a job-killer for GOP incumbents. And Nate Cohn draws a comparison between yesterdays vote and the 2010 vote for the Affordable Care Act that helped cost Democrats dozens of House seats and their majority. As Cohn notes, if that history is any guide, its possible that those Republicans who voted for the GOP bill could lose substantial support in the next election.
After years of insisting the Affordable Care Act was "rammed through" without Americans knowing what it would cost, House Republicans passed their own health-care plan on May 4, without an estimate of its impact from the Congressional Budget Office. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
To be sure, there are plenty of caveats. Republican districts tend to be safer than the 2010 Democratic districts were. The GOP bill probably wont pass in anything like its current form. A milder version might end up emerging once the Senate weighs in. The Republican bill, whatever it ends up looking like, might get more popular. Or nothing may pass, and all this could fade from memory. But as Cohn concludes, its not impossible that things could get worse from here, if a Republican plan does pass in some form, because the changes it imposes could be felt before the 2018 elections:
Many effects of the new health plan could hit before the midterms. If those changes are wrenching to too many people, it is certainly possible that the Republican grip on the House will be in serious jeopardy and that a lot of members have just cast votes that could define their career.
There are several layers of irony worth appreciating. Note, for instance, that the vote for the plan may end up putting a lot of Republicans at risk even if nothing like the current plan ends up passing. By contrast, many Democrats sacrificed their careers with a vote for a bill that did become law.
Whats more, as Paul Kane reports, many Republicans voted for this dangerous bill even though they didnt like it all that much. They did this for a variety of reasons caucus politics; pressure from Trump; a perceived need to show that House Republicans can govern; to increase the odds for other priorities. By contrast, the Democrats who voted for the ACA did so because they believed in it and helped contribute to a historic coverage expansion as a result, though that may be in danger now.
The House GOP bill now faces very long odds in the Senate, precisely because its a moral and political disaster. One of the big moral questions at the core of the health-care debate is whether to vastly roll back the ACAs spending and regulations that are currently enabling so many poor and sick people to gain coverage, and to again put that coverage at risk. The GOP bill puts this coverage in danger for millions. Thus, many GOP senators and governors for political and principled reasons alike are not going to accept the House GOP bills deep cuts to Medicaid and weakening of protections for people with preexisting conditions. The result will be a long, intense debate that serves to focus more attention possibly for months on the albatross that many vulnerable House Republicans just hung around their own necks.
**********************************************************************
* GOP SENATORS FACE TOUGH ROAD ON HEALTH BILL: The New York Times sums up the difficulties ahead for the repeal-and-replace bill in the Senate:
Senate Republicans will face some of the same dynamics that stymied the House for weeks. Moderate senators will demand significant concessions, which in turn could alienate three hard-liners: Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah. Republican senators are certain to face pressure from governors worried about constituents on Medicaid losing their coverage.
The House bills phase-out of the Medicaid expansion is likely to be opposed by GOP senators and governors from states that opted into it. But conservatives wont accept anything that doesnt phase it out.
* KEEP AN EYE ON THE GOP GOVERNORS: The Associated Press adds thisabout the House GOP bills phase-out of the Medicaid expansion:
Many of the 31 states that accepted Obamas expansion of that program are led by GOP governors, and senators have no interest in cutting their states funds and taking coverage away from voters. Republican senators also represent states ravaged by deaths caused by opioid abuse. The House measure would let states escape Obamas requirement that insurers cover anti-drug services.
Yeah, this bill is going to get slaughtered by many Republicans in the days and weeks ahead.
* BIG PROCEDURAL CHALLENGE LOOMS IN SENATE: The new GOP bill added provisions allowing states to seek waivers on essential benefits and preexisting conditions, to win over conservatives. The Post points out this will create a new set of problems in the Senate:
The original proposal initially left many of the ACAs insurance regulations alone with the goal of ensuring it would pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian but not all of them. The Houses version of the bill would undercut the ACAs insurance regulations even more. That might make it difficult for Republican senators to pass the measure under a procedural maneuver known as reconciliation, which is usually reserved for budget legislation.
This is a problem. It means Republicans probably can pass measures impacting the Medicaid expansion, subsidies and individual mandate with a simple majority but probably cant pass these sorts of deregulatory features conservatives want.
* STATE OFFICIALS NOT CRAZY ABOUT HOUSE GOP BILL: Politico asks GOP governors and state legislators whether they wouldseek waivers from the ban on insurers jacking up premiums on preexisting conditions, if the GOP bill ever becomes law:
Not a single governor has stepped up to say they want to take advantage of that leeway. Officials in a dozen states surveyed by POLITICO werent eager to embrace opt-outs that would let states skirt key insurance provisions, including safeguards for people with pre-existing conditions and a set of basic, required health benefits for now, state officials are holding back. Governors run the risk of being blamed for abandoning patients with pre-existing conditions if they grab any of these exemptions.
What a shocker. If somehow this does become law, this would put them in a terrible spot, because theyd come under tremendous pressure from the right to seek these waivers.
* HOUSE MODERATE PREDICTS BILL WILL BE GUTTED:Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.). who opposed the bill,had this to say about whats nextfor GOP moderates who voted for it:
Members have been asked to vote for a bill that is particularly treacherous, that is going nowhere in the Senate. This legislation will be gutted and we will have voted for a bill that will never become law. Will it cause headaches for people? Absolutely.
Yeah, pretty much. But at least those moderates dont have to fear being punished by Trumps terrifying Twitter feed!
* THE TRUMPISM OF THE DAY: After the health-care bill passed yesterday, Trump murmured a few things about how Trumpcare is going to make America awesome again, then said this to the prime minister of Australia:
Its going to be fantastic health care, Trump said, referring to his new health care plan. I shouldnt say this to our great gentleman and my friend from Australia because you have better health care than we do.
Australia has universal health care. On Chris Hayess show last night, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)burst into laughter after being played a video of Trumps remarks. Its worth a watch.
* AND TRUMP JUST WANTED A WIN: Politico reports on a call between Trump and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), who had opposed the health-care bill, angering Trump, before delivering the amendment that salvaged it:
Trump did not want to talk about the merits of the legislation he didnt care much about those specifics, senior officials said. What mattered to him was how a failed vote would hobble his presidency and the ability to get other legislation through Congress. He wanted a win.
As always, Trump clearly has no knowledge whatsoever of whats in his policies or the human toll they would inflict on millions. But now hes finally attained the win of wiping out President Barack Obamas signature domestic achievement. Oh, wait, he hasnt attained that yet at all.
Read this article:
Yesterday, Republicans partied about their vote. Now comes the brutal hangover. - Washington Post (blog)
- Brad Raffensperger runs for Georgia governor and tries to defy Republicans who called him repugnant - CNN - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa Performed a Skit. N.Y. Republicans Are Livid. - The New York Times - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- Rep. Mohamed: Republicans' Veto Override Leaves Local Communities Holding the Bag, Still No Real Property Relief for Majority of Ohioans - Ohio House... - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- California 'jungle' primary could hand governor's race to Republicans - The Detroit News - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- LEADER JEFFRIES ON CNN: WE WANT REPUBLICANS TO STOP HOLDING TSA AGENTS AND AIR TRAVELERS HOSTAGE TO THEIR EXTREME IMMIGRATION AGENDA Congressman... - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- New Dem Leadership Condemns House Republicans for Needlessly Extending the Chaos of the DHS Shutdown - New Democrat Coalition (.gov) - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- 2 Arkansas Republicans give final campaign push before Tuesdays runoff - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- At CPAC, many Republicans stand by Trump on Iran. But they're divided on how the war could end. - CBS News - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- Why a record number of Republicans are retiring ahead of the midterms - Yahoo - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- Republicans protested the number of tax bills introduced during the 2026 legislative session. Few passed the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. -... - March 30th, 2026 [March 30th, 2026]
- House Republicans pass DHS funding bill that Democrats call 'dead on arrival' in the Senate - NBC News - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- For House Republicans, an Exodus Rivaled Only By Trumps First Term - The New York Times - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- LEADER JEFFRIES ON CNN: "WE WANT REPUBLICANS TO STOP HOLDING TSA AGENTS AND AIR TRAVELERS HOSTAGE TO THEIR EXTREME IMMIGRATION AGENDA" -... - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- Rep. Emma Greenman - RELEASE: House Republicans Refuse to Stand with the Majority of Minnesotans Who Support Gun Violence Prevention Measures - MN... - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- Bigotry among young conservatives has Republicans on edge - The Washington Post - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- Op-ed: Trump-era Republicans are terrible at paying the bills - News and Sentinel - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- 'A higher moral law': Republicans openly defy Arizona's abortion amendment and their oaths of office - Arizona Mirror - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- Republicans should think twice before redrawing Floridas congressional maps | Opinion - miamiherald.com - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- Breaking News: House Republicans rejected a Senate deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security as a government shutdown crippled airport... - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- Republicans are already fighting over Trumps $200 billion war supplemental - MS NOW - March 28th, 2026 [March 28th, 2026]
- Senate Republicans try a new gambit with Trump in bid to end partial shutdown - The Boston Globe - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Republicans want to give these 16 caucus members $19.6k+ pay raise - The Tennessean - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Republicans are conspicuously leaving the door open to boots on the ground in Iran - MS NOW - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Republicans Are Mad Brian Kemp Is Standing by His Georgia Senate Endorsement - News of the United States - NOTUS - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Prolonged war with Iran and high gas prices could test some Republicans support for Trump: AP-NORC poll - kare11.com - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Trump boosts GOP war chest as House Republicans gear up for high-stakes midterm fight - Fox News - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Senate Republicans believe they have a solution to reopen DHS and end airport chaos - NBC News - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Most Republicans love Trump. A prolonged war in Iran could test that, an AP-NORC poll shows - AP News - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Republicans this is on you: Joe urges party to prevent a tragedy and pay TSA - MS NOW - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Republicans could've stopped the AES sale. They chose not to. | Opinion - IndyStar - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- House Republicans Want to Stay Away From Josh Hawleys Abortion Pill Ban - News of the United States - NOTUS - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Its a Chaotic Moment in America. Thats Not What Republicans Need. - The New York Times - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Most Republicans love Trump. A prolonged war in Iran could test that, an AP-NORC poll shows - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- POLITICO: House Republicans introduce bill to go after Canada's Online Streaming Act - Congressman Lloyd Smucker (.gov) - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Most Republicans are loyal to Trump. A prolonged war in Iran could test that, an AP-NORC poll shows - Marietta Daily Journal - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- House Budget chairman reveals how Republicans will pay for the Iran campaign - Fox News - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Pa. House Republicans launch Freedom through Affordability Initiative to cut costs - Mon Valley Independent - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Most Republicans are loyal to Trump. A prolonged war in Iran could test that, an AP-NORC poll shows - Ottumwa Courier - March 26th, 2026 [March 26th, 2026]
- Were going to have a problem: Republicans want Trump to move on from 2020 - Politico - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- College Republicans group disbanded after students allegedly give Nazi salute - The Washington Post - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- LEADER JEFFRIES: REPUBLICANS HAVE MADE LIFE MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE - Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (.gov) - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Whats in the voting bill that Republicans are pushing to the Senate floor - The Seattle Times - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Trumps top priority is splitting Republicans and could reshape the Senate - MS NOW - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Inside the special session, and UF shuts down College Republicans - Bay News 9 - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- UF sued by College Republicans for deactivating club over Nazi salute - Miami Herald - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Senate Republicans worry theyre losing ground in the midterms - Politico - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Senate Republicans Tee Up Losing Fight Over SAVE America Act - NOTUS News of the United States - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- GOP HEALTH CARE MADNESS: Republicans Kick Millions off Their Coverage, Push Them Into Skimpy Plans, and Hike Out-of-Pocket Costs - Protect Our Care - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Dem in Maine House Primary Funneled PAC Money to Republicans - The Intercept - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- University of Florida College Republicans respond to deactivation of local chapter - WCJB - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- The University of Floridas College Republicans chapter was disbanded after a photo reportedly depicting two students giving a Nazi salute had been... - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Were going to have a problem: Republicans want Trump to move on from 2020 - Yahoo - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- List of Republicans Who Voted With Democrats on Transgender Bathroom Bill - Newsweek - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- What's in the voting bill that Republicans are pushing to the Senate floor - oskaloosa.com - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- New York State Assembly Republicans Introduce Bill to Amend HALT Act; Aiming to Improve Safety and Staffing in State Prisons - WENY News - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- What's in the voting bill that Republicans are pushing to the Senate floor - The Daily Gazette - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Apparently, Republicans Are Finally Tired Of Trump Lying About The 2020 Election - NewsOne - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Democrats need to stop pretending Republicans will turn on Trump - Daily Kos - March 17th, 2026 [March 17th, 2026]
- Republicans in a growing number of states press ahead with Trumps voting rules - CNN - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Republicans define victory in Iran as whatever Trump says it is - MS NOW - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Democrats are trouncing Republicans in state elections since Trump took office - Politico - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Republicans block Democratic bill to fund DHS agencies other than ICE, CBP - The Hill - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- President Trump spent months getting squeezed by top Senate Republicans to endorse the embattled Senator John Cornyn of Texas in order to avert a... - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- WATCH: Trump pushes voting bill on House Republicans at annual policy retreat in Florida - PBS - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- House Republicans find it difficult to focus on rising costs as they plot 2026 agenda - Politico - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Republicans and Democrats Are United in Their War on the Unhoused - Truthout - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Republicans Concede They Need to Pivot on Immigration Before Midterms - The New York Times - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Republicans blast NJ governors first budget as more of same - New Jersey Monitor - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Opinion | The hidden reason Republicans could outperform midterm expectations - The Washington Post - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- The Republicans hoping to win in Utahs new blue district - Deseret News - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- A record number of Republicans are leaving the House - CNN - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- House Republicans sweat Irans costs as they struggle to push economic agenda - CNN - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Trumps voting bill fixation strains Republicans to the breaking point - Semafor - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Republicans, Democrats address high gas prices stemming from Iran war - CBS News - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Trump says his bill would guarantee the midterms. House Republicans are moving on. - Politico - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Johnson and Republicans Eye Another Party-Line Reconciliation Bill - The Fiscal Times - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Republicans Are Holding the TSA and FEMA Hostage to ICE - New York Magazine - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Unity is elusive for House Republicans on key election-year affordability bill - Reuters - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- Trump has one prescription for midterms. House Republicans have another - AP News - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]
- The Words of War Republicans Refuse to Say - The Bulwark - March 13th, 2026 [March 13th, 2026]