President Trump and the GOP-led Congress face a crucial test next week when the House attempts to pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.
The vote in the House will come as the Senate Republican majority works to advance the nomination of Supreme Court pick Neil Gorsuch, who will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for questioning beginning Monday.
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And, the House Intelligence panel will hold public hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The busy week is expected to culminate in a vote on the American Health Care Act, a bill written by the GOP to replace the faltering Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
“This bill gives patients enhanced tools to take control of their health care decisions,” said Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “And it expands choice so Americans are free to pick the plan that is best for themselves and their families.”
The GOP plans to hold votes on two additional health care bills that they hope will make the repeal and replace measure more attractive to skeptical conservatives.
The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act, sponsored by Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., would eliminate the anti-trust exemption for the health insurance industry, which many believe would help increase competition by letting people buy across state lines.
A second measure, the Small Business Health Fairness Act, sponsored by Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, would allow small businesses to join together to purchase health insurance plans.
While the repeal and replace measure won’t win any Democrats, the anti-trust and small business bills could win many minority party votes.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., for example, has authored legislation eliminating the anti-trust exemption for insurance companies and the bill has nine Democratic co-sponsors.
The prospects for passage of the AHCA brightened Friday when Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker, R-N.C., said minor changes to the legislation have helped to win his support for it.
But the House Freedom Caucus, made up of about three dozen staunch conservatives, remains opposed and could sink the measure if most of them vote against it.
In addition to health care reform, House lawmakers will also focus on Russia and what role it played in the pre-election hacking of Democratic emails.
The House Intelligence Committee, which only very rarely holds open hearings, will publicly question FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers about Russian interference.
Lawmakers are likely to ask whether Comey or Rogers know of any connection between the Russian hacking and Trump’s political campaign. So far no evidence of collaboration has been produced.
In the Senate, Democrats will do their best to call into question whether Gorsuch is suitable for the high court.
The Senate Judiciary panel is likely to hold several days of hearings and is all but guaranteed to approve him in committee, but Gorsuch needs eight Democrats to avoid a filibuster if he is to win confirmation by the full Senate.
Some Democrats have complained of Gorsuch’s record of rulings in favor corporations, while others say Democrats should not back a GOP’s nominee for the high court because Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refused to take up Merrick Garland, President Obama’s Supreme Court pick last year.
