The GOP's incredible, shrinking Obamacare repeal


Washington (CNN)

Donald Trump's presidency is off to an explosive start: A clash with the media over crowd size on Inauguration Day; the theatrical unveiling of a Supreme Court nominee; and the launch of an immigration crackdown that sparked nationwide protests.

But across town on Capitol Hill, Republican lawmakers have been working away at the monumental task of overhauling Obamacare in the opposite fashion -- quietly, slowly and with little fanfare. And they're starting to be more open about acknowledging that the Affordable Care Act may never entirely disappear.

GOP Rep. Greg Walden, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in an interview Wednesday that it is time to do away with the notion that there is a GOP Obamacare "mega-bill" in the works.
"There isn't," said Walden, whose committee has significant jurisdiction over healthcare. "We're looking at fixing this mess a brick at a time. Piece by piece. Taking our time to get it right."

That sentiment is far from the promises Trump and many other Republicans have made in the past to swiftly and decisively repeal and replace Obamacare. Other key Republicans echoed Walden's caution.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and another key player in the health care debate, said Wednesday that as much as he supports repealing Obamacare, Republicans should also "try and repair the law."