Sunday, May 7, 2017

Person of the Week: Paul Ryan


Claim To Fame: Current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

Why He's Person of the Week: for finally getting enough votes in his chamber to get the GOP to take the first in health care reform. Faced with growing pressure from President Trump and his base, uber-conservatives in his own caucus, low public opinion polls, a 17 percent favorability rating on the AHCA itself and the embarrassment of failing to generate enough support amongst his own party...again, Ryan still got 217 Republicans to cast “aye” votes for the GOP plan on the House floor on Thursday afternoon.

The House bill would shift power to states to set some health insurance rules, slash Medicaid spending by more than $800 billion and cut nearly $600 billion in taxes under the health-care law. And while the bill is being killed by skeptics and Democrats alike and will undoubtedly go through changes by the Senate before it can reach the President's desk, at least it isn't Ryan's problem anymore.

Before the vote on the House floor, Ryan made the case that Republicans had no choice but to work to put Obamacare behind them. "Let's give people more choices and more control over their care. Let's return power from Washington to the states," Ryan said. "A lot of us have been waiting seven years to cast this vote." Ryan said. Many lawmakers, he added are "here because they promised to cast this vote."

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