If an agreement is reached with the American Health Care Act to bring down the costs of insurance premiums, reluctant conservatives will likely support the measure, but if it is not, then they will not, House Freedom Caucus founding member Rep. Jim Jordan said Thursday.
"We've been clear about this from the get-go," the Ohio Republican told Fox News' "Fox & Friends." "Let's repeal Obamacare, let's make sure we bring down premiums, short of that, then we're not going to support the legislation."
A deal has not been reached to bring in more conservative supporters House Rules Committee Chairman Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, told Fox News. He said House Republicans will still try to get an agreement on the legislation before it comes up for a full House vote.
His committee met for 13 hours Wednesday, while other deliberations took place on Capitol Hill.
In addition, senior-level White House meetings were held and President Donald Trump made several phone calls concerning the Obamacare replacement plan.
Jordan said he and other conservatives are focused on bill amendments that eliminate regulations that drive up premiums across the country.
"We've been clear about that because of those regulations," Jordan said. "Never forget what Obamacare did. A bunch of mandates, regulations, drove up the cost of insurance, mandated people buy it, and if you didn't, you get penalized."
Jordan said those opposing the AHCA do want a marketplace for insurance purchases, but unlike with Obamacare, they believe people should be able to choose plans that better fit them.
Republicans were brought into Congress in 2010, 2014, and 2016 to repeal Obamacare, said Jordan, so it is important to "do everything you can to get rid of this law, which has been so harmful for Americans."
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said Wednesday he and others on the caucus are optimistic, but Jordan said members want to see the agreement.
"One of the concerns here has been this bill has rolled out three weeks ago," Jordan said. "There were no hearings where we actually had witnesses. There's been no amendments offered to the legislation, and it was called initially a binary choice. So if, in fact, there's going to be agreement, we want to make sure we see the language first."
Also appearing on CNN's "New Day," Jordan said the focus of passing the AHCA has never been to give President Donald Trump a vital victory in his corner.
"The focus is the American people," Jordan said. "[My] focus is the families in the Fourth District of Ohio, who elected me to come do what told them I was going to do. That's always been our focus and objective. That has not changed."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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