Freedom Caucus member predicts healthcare passage in weeks

Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.) believes that Congress will pass new healthcare legislation in weeks, even as the White House and GOP lawmakers struggle to coalesce around a deal to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

“Within a few weeks, I think D.C. is going to be a little bit shocked,” the conservative lawmaker said in an interview with Capital Download, which was reported by USA Today on Wednesday. “We’re going to get to yes.”

Brat, a member of the Freedom Caucus, which helped sink the last GOP healthcare plan, warned of a “huge brawl” if Republicans fail to act on their longtime promise to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.

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The Freedom Caucus was one of the strongest factions opposing the House’s healthcare bill last month, with several members arguing that it did too closely resembled ObamaCare.

President Trump recently signaled that he would still prefer to pass healthcare legislation before moving on to other policy areas.

“We are going to have a phenomenal tax reform, but I have to do healthcare first. I want to do it first to really get it right,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network.

Republican have reportedly been considering ways to allow individual states to opt out of parts of ObamaCare. That, in turn, would free insurers there from having to offer minimum benefits or charge the same price to customers who are the same age.

Brat said the matter should be decided at the state level.

“That’s the conservative principle, right? … Fifty laboratories, 50 experiments going on simultaneously where you can see what works and what doesn’t work,” Brat said.