Paul Ryan says GOP health-care plan has to change in order to pass


House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) shifted his message on Wednesday, saying that in order to pass the House, the Republican health-care proposal must undergo some changes.
Ryan earlier said the legislation would fail if it was changed, but after a private GOP meeting with Vice President Mike Pence, he announced that Republican leaders will "incorporate feedback" from members. Earlier this week, a report by the Congressional Budget Office projected that under the GOP plan as it is written, 14 million fewer Americans would be insured after just one year and 24 million fewer would be insured over the next 10 years. "Now that we have our score ... we can make some necessary improvements and refinements to the bill," Ryan said.
Ryan did not elaborate on the changes that Republicans might be considering. To pass, the legislation needs 216 votes in the House, and it is headed to the House Budget Committee for approval on Thursday.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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