Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti said Wednesday evening that it would be a "disaster" if House Republicans leave for the coming congressional recess without passing a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Continetti appeared on a panel on MSNBC's "Meet the Press Daily," where he and others discussed the impending passage of the House's revised version of the American Health Care Act. A vote on the bill is expected in the next several days.
"It would be a disaster for the congressional Republicans if they go home to another recess without passing a repeal and replacement of Obamacare," Continetti said, "considering that what they passed just now before we went on air was this trillion-dollar continuing resolution, which was basically the Democratic bill. Democratic votes that passed through the House."
"You hear Rush Limbaugh this week saying, 'Why are we electing Republican government if it's Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer running Capitol Hill?" Continetti said, alluding to a segment in which the popular radio host attacked Republican inaction on key issues. Continetti stressed that the repeal and replace vote was therefore important from a strategic perspective.
"This is why this vote is so important. President Trump needs some victory. And that might be enough. But I'm not counting it until it happens," he said.
Later, Continetti responded to claims that Obamacare had been an improvement over the status quo ante.
"There are plenty of people unhappy with the current system," he said. "You see insurers pulling out of individual markets. In Iowa today, threatening to do so in Virginia in the future. The system is collapsing, so either way, people are going to be hurt."
Continetti was referring to the likely departure of Medica from the Iowa individual health care exchange and Aetna from the Virginia individual health care exchange.
"The question is, do we have some momentum to improve the system along the lines the Republicans have been talking about now for six years?" Continetti asked. "If they can't do that, everyone who thinks that Washington isn't working, their opinion will be confirmed."