What Went Down On Health Care This Week

Graham is laying out how he called Mark Meadows of the Freedom Caucus and implored him to make sure Ryan will have a conference. Remember, the House did kind of start this, with their lack of commitment to a conference.

In politics, context changes quickly. Remember how the Democrats passed the ACA through the Senate in December 2009, thinking they could revisit its rougher edges (see Cornhusker Kickback)? That didn’t work out so well, and some of the ACA’s lingering limitations date to that gamble. While Speaker Ryan can commit to not pass “skinny repeal” immediately, what happens if the politics in the Senate change, such that it’s “skinny repeal” or nothing?

Graham has spent a lot of time this week talking about how Obamacare dollars aren’t even among states. This is not surprising since 19 states have chosen not to expand Medicaid.