The Freedom Caucus is bypassing Paul Ryan with its health-care concerns — and going straight to Stephen Bannon


Frustrated Freedom Caucus members are not turning to House Republican leadership with their concerns about the GOP's proposed health-care replacement, Politico reports. Instead, they're gambling on Stephen Bannon's influence over President Trump and going straight to their sympathizers in the West Wing.
Freedom Caucus members would rather start with the repeal of ObamaCare and formulate the replacement later. Members are also upset about House Speaker Paul Ryan's reliance on health-care tax credits and have slammed his bill as "Obamacare-Lite."
But while Ryan's allies argue he is working to incorporate as much conservative input as possible, some members of the House feel ignored and are bypassing the traditional channels for negotiating. It's a risky move, Politico notes: "The Freedom Caucus' unwillingness to go along with GOP leaders could backfire if Trump loses his patience. The president carried most of its members' districts by wide margins. If he turns against them — blaming them for the bill's failure — the hard-liners could find themselves in a precarious spot in the 2018 midterms."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Freedom Caucus has gone as far as to begin constructing its own deal with moderates, without first consulting Ryan or other GOP leaders. Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows even admitted that with the exception of a single conversation with Majority Whip Steve Scalise, he has not spoken to Republican leaders in two weeks but talks to the White House almost every day. A senior administration official confirmed that "we opened up a direct channel to get the real issues on the table" with Meadows and other Freedom Caucus leaders. Bannon also reportedly wants the far-right Freedom Caucus to be involved in the formation of the bill.
Meadows has already put in a list of "improvements" to the White House.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
Women need more pain management during gynecological procedures
Under the radar Pain should no longer be ignored
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
Protein obsession is oversaturating the health food space
Under the Radar Some experts say that fiber is now the most important macro to focus on
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia