Jan 18, 2017

Ryan translates Trump: It's about access

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Mike Allen passes on a telling quote from his interview with House Speaker Paul Ryan earlier this week, which seems to back up Trump's current tone. When Mike asked about the "insurance for everybody" comment, Ryan said it meant access for everyone, which is more consistent with the way most Republicans think about health reform.

"What that means is we want to make sure that everyone has access to affordable health care coverage regardless of their health condition."—House Speaker Paul Ryan

And when Mike asked how many people Republicans want to cover, Ryan answered: "You're asking the wrong question." By focusing only on coverage numbers, Ryan said, the authors of Obamacare "forgot to think about the quality of the health care system, the viability of the health care system, and the affordability of health coverage in America."

The big difference with Trump: It's about negotiating drug prices, as Trump wants. If Medicare does "one singular negotiation," Ryan said, "you'll have to have a much more restrictive formulary that doesn't compensate for all of the various different needs that seniors have."

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Why it matters: She could give conservatives a 6-3 majority on the high court, and her nomination sets in motion a scramble among Senate Republicans to confirm her with 38 days before the election. Sen. Mitch McConnell appears to have the votes to confirm Barrett with the current majority.

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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

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Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee set to start Oct. 12

Sen. Lindsey Graham, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Sept. 24. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

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Why it matters: The committee's current schedule could allow Senate Republicans to confirm the nominee weeks before November's election. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell currently has enough votes to confirm Circuit Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who is expected as the president's pick.

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