Maine Rep. Bruce Poliquin was reportedly among eight Republican House members who visited the White House on Monday as part of the party’s effort to revive health care legislation that was pulled before it went to a vote last month because it lacked enough support for passage.
Poliquin spokesman Brendan Conley would provide no details on the meeting or Poliquin’s role in it, saying only that the congressman “is continuing to push and emphasize the importance of supporting those nearing retirement – ages 60 to 64 – and those in rural areas in any proposed health care solution.”
“About 6 percent of those insured in Maine are on health care plans from the ACA, known as Obamacare,” Conley said in a written statement, “and with nearly 87 percent of those receiving services from Anthem, which reportedly is dropping their Obamacare policies, and Community Health Options, which is shaky from losing more than $50 million so far, it is clear something must be done on the ACA’s failures right here in Maine.”
Rep. Bruce Poliquin refused to state his position on the House health care bill before the vote was called off March 24.
Poliquin, R-2nd District, and the others met Monday for roughly an hour and a half with Vice President Mike Pence, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and Andrew Bremberg, the director of White House domestic policy, according to a story by The Huffington Post.
The White House, seeking to make changes to the House health care bill to revive it, met with the moderates and conservatives individually to discuss the agreement. The changes include relaxing protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Poliquin refused to state his position on the House health legislation before the vote was called off March 24.
In a statement days beforehand, Poliquin said he had met with Trump at the White House and urged him and House leadership to push for increased benefits for those nearing retirement and families living in rural areas. Poliquin said at the time that he wanted “to ensure that rural Mainers and those ages 50 to 64 will be able to buy policies under the American Health Care Act,” the name of the health care overhaul proposed by Republicans.
Since then, Poliquin reportedly has been among the Trump administration’s liaisons trying to bridge the partisan divide on the issue. The Boston Globe reported last week that Poliquin first approached at least one Democratic colleague, Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, in the hope of setting up a meeting with White House officials to discuss bipartisan approaches to creating jobs, repairing infrastructure and other issues.
In addition to Poliquin, The Huffington Post reported that the seven other Republicans who visited the White House were Reps. Greg Walden of Oregon, Chris Collins of New York, Rodney Davis and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Tom MacArthur of New Jersey, Martha McSally of Arizona,and Pat Tiberi of Ohio.
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