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05/04/2017: We don’t know what the health care bill costs, and neither does Congress
May 4, 2017

05/04/2017: We don’t know what the health care bill costs, and neither does Congress

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After several false starts and a few amendments, Republicans in the House finally passed their plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. The bill is on its way to the Senate and still without scoring from the Congressional Budget Office. That means we don't really know what the bill could cost or who could lose coverage, and Congress doesn't really know what they voted for. We talked with Doug Elmendorf, who was running the CBO when Obamacare was under debate, and he called the vote "a terrible mistake." Then, we'll talk about the latest from Brexit and Puerto Rico's debt crisis. Plus: President Trump is heading back to New York for the first time since he took office, and his old neighborhood on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan might look a little different.

Segments From this episode

Massive snowfall brings reprieve for businesses that need it

May 4, 2017
California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack had been minimal during the historic drought. This winter dropped a frozen deluge.
Whitewater rafters exit the Kern River in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Jed Kim/Marketplace

Will re-election help British PM Theresa May with tricky EU negotiations?

May 4, 2017
Victory would help her dampen domestic criticism. But the 27 EU countries look set for a showdown.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is seeking re-election ahead of talks about the terms of Brexit.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

On Fifth Avenue, vacancy rates spike along with rents

May 4, 2017
Stores on the world's most expensive retail strip are fleeing high rents.
A retail space is available for rent on Fifth Avenue in New York, where rents and vacancies have spiked.
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

Midwest flooding underscores a need for flood insurance reform

May 4, 2017
Floodwaters have displaced hundreds of people and lead to several deaths in the Midwest. Now the damage assessment starts. The National Flood Insurance Program helps homeowners buy affordable flood insurance, but it’s $25 billion in debt. Congress has a chance to reform it before it’s up for reauthorization in September, and those reforms could include […]

Puerto Rico debt battle heads to federal court

May 4, 2017
Puerto Rico owes bondholders more than $70 billion, and it’s going to court to try to get its debts rescheduled. On Monday, a stay on lawsuits against Puerto Rico’s government expired, so bondholders sued. The island’s governor announced yesterday it was seeking court protection under Title III of the PROMESA Act, a bill passed last […]

'It is a terrible mistake' to vote on health care bill without a CBO score, the former director says

May 4, 2017
Douglas Elmendorf says the agency will build on the estimated economic impact for the original legislation.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, left, (R-TX), President Donald Trump, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI), House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) participate in a Rose Garden event Thursday at the White House after the House has passed the American Health Care Act 217-213. The bill now goes to the Senate. 
Alex Wong/Getty Images

After several false starts and a few amendments, Republicans in the House finally passed their plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. The bill is on its way to the Senate and still without scoring from the Congressional Budget Office. That means we don’t really know what the bill could cost or who could lose coverage, and Congress doesn’t really know what they voted for. We talked with Doug Elmendorf, who was running the CBO when Obamacare was under debate, and he called the vote “a terrible mistake.” Then, we’ll talk about the latest from Brexit and Puerto Rico’s debt crisis. Plus: President Trump is heading back to New York for the first time since he took office, and his old neighborhood on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan might look a little different.

Music from the episode

Heavenly Divine Jedi Mind Tricks
Ready or Not Fugees
Cissy Strut The Meters
Cissy Strut The Meters