- House GOP Whip: Entitlement Reform, ObamaCare Repeal on 2018 AgendaThe Hill by Jessie Hellmann — Obamacare repeal and entitlement reform are at the top of the agenda for House Republicans in 2018, Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said Tuesday. "The next big thing you're going to see is a need for workers, and I think the next thing we can do is to go and reform those welfare programs that are trapping people in a failed welfare state," Scalise said on Tuesday morning. "Let's actually put some work requirements in place so that we can get people back to work, rebuild the middle class." House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has said recently that Republicans will focus on giving states "more flexibility in Medicaid," which could involve allowing them to impose work requirements on recipients.
- On Health Care, Democrats Are Shifting to Offense Associated Press by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar — Democrats are shifting to offense on health care, emboldened by successes in defending the Affordable Care Act. They say their ultimate goal is a government guarantee of affordable coverage for all. With Republicans unable to agree on a vision for health care, Democrats are debating ideas that range from single-payer, government-run care for all, to new insurance options anchored in popular programs like Medicare or Medicaid. There's also widespread support for authorizing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, an idea once advocated by candidate Donald Trump, which has languished since he was elected president. .. “We’re tired of just playing defense,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., the party’s 2016 vice presidential candidate. “It is now time to talk about the next big idea. It is a good time for everybody to put their big ideas on the table.” His offering: “Medicare-X,” a public insurance plan to be initially deployed in communities that lack private insurer competition