Iowa Republicans split on GOP health care plan - even if they never got to vote

DES MOINES - Their hands finally forced, we learned this past week where Iowa's Congressional Republicans stood on their party's plan to dismantle the Democrats' health care reforms.

Even if they never got to cast their vote.

Iowa's three Republican U.S. House members never went officially on the House record because GOP legislation to repeal much of the health care reform implemented by Democrats under former President Barack Obama was pulled by leaders Friday just minutes before a planned vote.

But the Iowa delegation had stated their intentions earlier in the week.

Rod Blum, from Eastern Iowa's 1st District, and David Young, from Central Iowa's 3rd District, said they were against the proposal, placing them among the roughly two dozen House Republicans to make such a pledge.

Steve King, from the western Iowa 4th District, said he supports the GOP legislation on the promise of alterations to be made in the Senate.

Each vote is interesting in its own right, and worth exploring.

Blum had been non-committal about his vote until last Tuesday, just days before it was scheduled to be debated in the U.S. House. Blum said he opposes the GOP plan because it does not sufficiently drive down health care costs.

Blum is in his second term representing a district that has roughly 20,000 more Democratic than Republican voters. Perhaps his stance was motivated by surviving re-election in such a district.

However, Blum also is a member of the House 'Freedom Caucus,” which consists of some of the House's most conservative members. The group, as a whole, has been opposed to the GOP health care bill.

Young also kept his position close to the vest until revealing his feelings last Wednesday.

Young represents a district that has roughly 10,000 more Republican than Democratic voters. In a statement, Young called the GOP bill 'a very good start” but said the bill 'does not yet get it right.”

But Young's statement seemed to indicate he was leaving the door open to supporting the bill when he added, 'This conversation is not over.”

King announced in a live video posted on Facebook that he would support the bill after receiving assurances that eventually it will strip mandated benefits for insurance coverage.

King had been hesitant to support the bill, but Wednesday indicated he would.

King represents Iowa's most conservative district; the 4th has roughly 40,000 more Republican than Democratic voters.

It was an interesting week for Congressional Republicans as they inched ever closer to taking significant action on health care reform. After spending much of the past eight years and two national elections promising to repeal Obama's health care law, Republicans in Washington have been dealing with the reality of the significant effort it will take to make that happen without upsetting constituents.

Republican leaders at the very top - President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan - spent the week encouraging Congressional Republicans to support the legislation.

National media reports said Trump threatened to help promote primary election candidates against Republicans who declined to support the GOP health care bill.

But as Republican efforts to demolish Obama's health care law intensify, the law has grown increasingly popular in public opinion polls.

The Affordable Care Act started March with its best-ever average on Real Clear Politics at plus 5.3. Just after the 2014 elections, the law had an average favorability rating of negative 13.

So Republicans are dealing with their conservative base that still wants the law ripped off the books, but also growing support from others - including some Republicans - who want it preserved.

All this is what helped to make last week's House GOP vote-counting on the proposal so interesting.

And we have not yet made it to the Senate.

Erin Murphy covers Iowa politics and state government. His email address is erin.murphy@lee.net.