Koch-backed group calls health fight in Congress ‘humbling’

The head of Americans for Prosperity, an organization funded by Charles and David Koch, told donors that the healthcare fight in Congress has been “humbling,” Politico reported Sunday.

Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips reportedly told prospective donors at the Koch network’s annual summer seminar in Colorado Springs that they expected a full repeal of ObamaCare.

“We fully expected a repeal vote,” Phillips said. “We were caught flat-footed when it didn’t happen.”

Phillips added that it “has been humbling for us.”

{mosads}With the Senate GOP’s healthcare bill that was introduced last week, the group hopes to push lawmakers into further repealing the 2010 healthcare law. 

As GOP leadership works to quickly get the bill to a vote in the upper chamber, some Republican lawmakers are questioning provisions in the new version, which includes major cuts to Medicaid.

Phillips told Fox News on Sunday that the Trump administration has welcomed their input on the Senate’s legislation, which did not occur during the House healthcare debate that took place earlier this spring before that chamber’s bill passed.  

At that time, the Koch brothers reportedly offered to financially stand behind House Republicans running in 2018 who opposed the House healthcare measure.

“We did want to remind them that this was a promise that had been made to repeal ObamaCare during four consecutive national elections,” Phillips told Fox News. “It was important to be a little more demonstrative.” 

While the Koch team would prefer more ObamaCare provisions be repealed, they say they are now working with the Trump administration on the bill. 

While he has not opposed the bill outright, Phillips has criticized the bill, calling it “disappointing,” Politico reports. 

The Republican-held Senate could vote on the GOP healthcare bill as early as next week.