A report from the Congressional Budget Office on a new GOP plan to overhaul the Obama health law gave fresh ammunition to both political parties, as number crunchers found the plan would cut the federal deficit by $337 billion over ten years, but also swell the ranks of the uninsured by 24 million people over the current system.
The reviews broke right along partisan lines.
"This report confirms that the American Health Care Act will lower premiums and improve access to quality, affordable care," said House Speaker Paul Ryan, who noted that the plan would "provide massive tax relief" and "dramatically reduce the deficit."
That assessment was swiftly echoed by other GOP lawmakers.
On the numbers related to the deficit and the cost of the program, here is what the CBO found:
Credit: Jamie Dupree
Credit: Jamie Dupree
As for Democrats, they focused on a different set of numbers, how many people would have insurance coverage as compared to the current system under the Obama health law.
Here is what the CBO found:
Credit: Jamie Dupree
Credit: Jamie Dupree
Democrats said that showed the GOP plan was fatally flawed.
"Donald Trump called for 'insurance for all,' said Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM). "This bill breaks that promise."
Down at the White House, Trump Administration officials immediately pushed back against the CBO report.
"It's just not believable, the numbers would suggest," said Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
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