Morning Plum: The GOP Congress will finally repeal Obamacare…

…But there’s a catch

By Greg Sargent December 1 at 9:14 AM WashPost

It looks increasingly likely that some time in the next few days or weeks, the GOP Congress may realize a longtime dream of Republicans: Pass something that seriously guts Obamacare. The health law won’t actually be repealed, of course, since President Obama will veto such a measure. But that alone — forcing Obama to veto a repeal bill — is deemed a worthy goal in and of itself.

However, there’s a catch. Some Senate Republicans are apparently willing to vote for this measure precisely because Obama will veto it, sparing them the political fallout they might suffer if they actually did succeed in repealing the health law.

That, at least, is what Politico is now reporting. Politico says GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell would repeal the Medicaid expansion and the Obamacare subsidies that help make coverage available to lower-income Americans through a simple majority vote via the “reconciliation” process:

McConnell presented a plan to Senate Republicans on Monday evening that centered on winding down the expansion of Medicaid in Obamacare for low-income Americans over two years, according to lawmakers. The proposal would gradually phase out Medicaid expansion in preparation for the next president to enact a new health care reform law. It would also scrap a medical device tax and so-called “Cadillac tax” for high-cost plans….the bill would eliminate the subsidies available to help consumers buy insurance.

(More here.)