Groups lining up in opposition to GOP health care plan

Republican leadership this week revealed its plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The proposal, backed by President Donald Trump, Speaker Paul Ryan and others, met swift opposition from conservative corners as well as major players within the health care space.

Some, like the conservative Association of Mature American Citizens and the American Action Network, have praised the bill, but many other key interest groups and industry stakeholders have expressed concerns with the bill as written.

Asked about opposition from major groups, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said at his Wednesday press briefing that this bill was “patient-centric” and offered less to special interest groups than Obamacare had.

This list, to be updated as the debate continues, contains some of the groups that have said they have issues with the American Health Care Act:

Interest groups and industry stakeholders:

The AARP’s opposition to the bill is significant, as its members number in the millions and represent a demographic that tends to swing Republican. Its opposition, along with groups representing hospitals the nation over, demonstrates powerful voices against the proposal.

Doctors’ and nurses’ groups

The American Medical Association is self-described as the nation’s largest group of doctors, and its donations are significant on both sides of the aisle. In addition, its documented expenditures on lobbying have shown a significant influence operation.

But the opposition thus far has also come from more liberal leaning groups, like a major union of nurses, and conservative corners, as seen when the head of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons told the pro-Trump outlet Brietbart that the bill was basically no different from Obamacare and not worth supporting.

Conservative organizations

Another cause for alarm for Republican proponents of the bill: broad criticism from conservative institutions.

Among them is Heritage Action, the political arm of the Heritage Foundation, widely regarded as one of the most important voices within Republican policy. The Heritage Foundation’s leader, former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, has praised the Trump administration heavily, and the organization played a role in Trump’s transition to the presidency.

Speaker Ryan, however, defended the bill on Wednesday from conservative criticism, calling it a “conservative wish list.”

Trump, meanwhile, huddled with members of some conservative groups opposed to the bill on Wednesday evening.

Democratic and progressive organizations

Democrats might not hold many levers of power in Washington, but groups with deep pockets and sizable member lists have made their stances known.

A lot of groups aligned with the Democratic Party or the progressive movement have spent a significant amount of capital defending Obamacare over the years, and their opposition to the House GOP bill has come as unsurprising and resolute.