Freedom Caucus nixes idea of Obamacare 'repeal and delay'

Now that Republicans are faced with the reality of actually being in a position to repeal Obamacare, their feet are getting colder by the minute. But the "repeal and delay" plan they've cooked up—go ahead with a repeal vote but delay its effect for a few years—isn't good enough for the problem children.

The Republican congressman who made his name as the instigator of John Boehner’s ouster last year was set to take the reins of the House Freedom Caucus on Monday night.

And first up on Rep. Mark Meadows’ to-do list: Torpedoing GOP leadership’s tentative plans to take as long as three years to replace Obamacare.

The proposal “will meet with major resistance from Freedom Caucus members,” the North Carolina Republican vowed in an interview, calling it “the first big fight I see coming for the Freedom Caucus.”

“It should be repealed and replaced, and all of that should be done in the 115th Congress” — the two-year period starting in January through 2018 — and “not left to a future Congress to deal with,” Meadows added.

In case you're wondering, no, the Freedom Caucus does not have a plan for replacing Obamacare that could be immediately enacted. Nothing is official yet, but Meadows promises that his group will "formally" oppose a long phase-out of the law by next month, which creates the ongoing headache House Speaker Paul Ryan so richly deserves. Ryan needs the 40 or so maniacs' votes to overcome what will likely be unanimous Democratic opposition. Ryan is onboard with the delay plan, saying that "clearly there will be a transition and a bridge so that no one is left out in the cold, so that no one is worse off." Because Paul Ryan cares so much about the peoples. "It will clearly take time. It took them about six years to stand up to Obamacare. It’s not going to be replaced come next football season." He'll have fun convincing the maniacs of that.

That makes Democrats' essential job of resisting repeal a bit easier. Ryan is going to be having to do all his negotiating with the Freedom Caucus, and Democrats can just pass the popcorn while he fights that out. The only thing Democrats will have to do is resist the urge to help Ryan out and negotiate with him. On this one, they have to let him do his worst. And reap the consequences.