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HOOD RIVER, Ore. Rep. Greg Walden is one of the Republican House leaders who crafted the measure to overhaul the health-care system that dramatically imploded before lawmakers went home for a two-week recess.

But when faced with a large crowd of angry constituents in his district this week, the Oregon Republican seemed reluctant to claim the legislation as his own. Instead, Walden stressed the parts of President Obamas Affordable Care Act that he wants to keep.

That did not stop about 1,500 of his constituents who packed this liberal area at two town halls on Wednesday from slamming the congressman for wanting to overhaul Obamacare in a state that heavily relies on it.

Why dont you go back to Washington, [and] in the spirit of bipartisanship, grow a pair, sit down with [House Democratic leader] Nancy Pelosi and say, Lets fix Obamacare, said one middle-aged man at Columbia Gorge Community College, where about 500 people gathered.

A few in the rowdy crowd at the next town hall seemed to know that Walden, as the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, played a pivotal role in crafting the GOPs American Health Care Act, which would have rolled back Obamacares system of subsidies and phased out that laws Medicaid expansion.

It was an embarrassment and a disaster, said one attendee at Hood River Middle School, where 1,000 people showed up, prompting applause across the auditorium. You dont make the plan better by taking away insurance for 24million people across the nation.

Like many House Republicans, Walden has spent the past seven years attacking Obamacare and promising to repeal and replace it if the GOP secured one-party rule in Washington. But now that Walden has his wish, eliminating Obamacare is proving extremely difficult and politically dangerous.

That was certainly the case at home this week in his sprawling eastern Oregon 2nd District, which he won with a comfortable 72percent of the vote in November. Walden held events in Hood River and Wasco counties, the least conservative areas that he represents winning in Hood by just five votes in the last election. When he asked participants at the community college whether they voted for Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders in the presidential election, the vast majority raised their hands.

But President Trump won Waldens district by nearly 20 points a fact Walden pointed out at one particularly heated point on Wednesday.

Yet not even Trumps role in pushing the GOP health-care plan prompted Walden an ally of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) to embrace it. He responded to most health-care questions by touting the popular portions of Obamacare the GOP plan would retain, including preventing insurers from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions and allowing young people to stay on their parents plans.

Walden insisted that Republicans will work with Democrats on future health-care issues, although their presence has so far been conspicuously absent in negotiations around the GOP plan.

There is a lot of reform with health care that is being done on a bipartisan basis and will be done on a bipartisan basis, was all Walden told one attendee at the community college, before moving on to another question.

The only GOP lawmaker from Oregon, Walden finds himself in the same tricky position as several other House Republicans who have pledged to get rid of Obamacare but whose constituents heavily rely on it. Oregon expanded Medicaid as part of the law, and it now covers about one-fourth of all residents. It has also sought to innovate when it comes to that program.

Experts said that the GOP health plan would stem federal funding to states such as Oregon. It would replace Obamacares income-based subsidies with age-based ones and phase out the Medicaid expansion, as well as limit the amount the federal government pays states for the program for low-income Americans. The GOP plan would largely scrap the laws taxes and requirements to buy insurance.

[Affordable Care Act revision would reduce insured numbers by 24 million, CBO projects]

The proposed changes to Medicaid would be pronounced in states such as Oregon, which is already struggling to fund its program after greatly expanding eligibility. The state has tried to lower overall Medicaid costs by employing a dozen or so Cooperative Care Organizations, which contract with the state to insure enrollees. These groups are tasked with improving patients overall health.

But those efforts have not been enough, and the state in January announced a $882million shortfall in its Medicaid program.

Oregon would have been clobbered by repeal and replace in the AHCA, said Jeff Goldsmith, a Portland native and health-policy expert who writes for the nonpartisan journal Health Affairs. Many billions lost, and for a relatively poor state with limited fiscal capacity.

Walden was most deeply involved in drafting the Medicaid portion of the GOP plan, but he was quick to explain at the town halls how he would have done things differently. The measure should have allowed states to continue expanding their Medicaid programs through 2020 instead of cutting off that opportunity right away, he said.

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The issue is becoming increasingly toxic for lawmakers such as Walden, as liberal groups run ads against him and other Republicans supporting the effort. Walden did not refer to the AHCA by name during either of his town halls, nor did he lay out a timeline for when it might eventually get passed.

Theres no value in me coming to a bad plan that hurts people, he said, prompting cries of But you did! from members of the audience.

Attendees came armed with bright green, orange and yellow signs that read Agree, Disagree and Answer the Question. But they also expressed their feelings out loud throughout both meetings, which erupted frequently with boos and shouts, particularly when Walden appeared to support something Trump has said or done.

He won applause only a few times, chiefly when several constituents thanked him for supporting the military. Many heatedly asked Walden to respond to Trumps calls for building a wall along the Mexico border, his push for reducing science funding, his moves to ban refugees from majority-Muslim countries and his skepticism of climate change.

We dont like climate-change deniers. We need your word you will not desert us on this, said a woman named Connie.

Walden noted several areas where hes bucked Trump including opposing the refugee ban and some elements of Trumps proposed budget but he was careful not to directly criticize the presidents style or approach. When he seemed to give Trump a pass on refusing to release his tax returns, people booed loudly.

It seems to me [that] candidates are better-served when they do make their returns public, but thats all protected by privacy laws, Walden said.

The restive crowds did not seem to ruffle Walden, who extended each session to two hours instead of the single hour they were originally scheduled to run.

Come on, lets do this the Oregon way lets be respectful of each other, Walden said when interrupted by attendees.

At another point, Walden even succeeded in making the crowd laugh, after a woman with several children asked why he did not criticize Trump more publicly for making derogatory statements about women.

I dont speak out every time he says stuff because I dont have time for that, frankly, Walden responded.

Read more at PowerPost

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Republican House leader avoids selling GOP health-care plan at home - Washington Post

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck on Thursday ripped President Trumps recent policy reversals, saying Trump "looks like another Republican who said stuff and didn't mean it."

The president this week flipped to new positions on four different policy issues, backing off of campaign promises on the usefulness of NATO, whether to label China a currency manipulator, Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen and the Export-Import Bank.

Tonight, at least, it looks like the president is on the verge of beginning to look like another Republican who said stuff, didnt mean it and turned into Reince Priebus or Paul RyanPaul RyanGlenn Beck: Trump another Republican who said stuff and didn't mean it White House explores new direction on tax reform GOP centrists push back on ObamaCare repeal MORE, and thats not good, Beck told CNNs Anderson Cooper, referring to the White House chief of staff and Speaker of the House, respectively.

In October, Beck told Time magazine that backing Trump would not be moral.

"The Donald TrumpDonald TrumpTrump visits Mar-a-Lago resort for 23rd day as president Russia: Syrian chemical weapons attack could be 'staged' Glenn Beck: Trump another Republican who said stuff and didn't mean it MORE mentality, which is the alt-right, this vicious, angry, make-them-pay, fall-in-line-or-youll-pay-for-it, that mentality is not going away, Beck said at the time. He will play to a very small crowd of rabid fans.

But Beck seemed pleasantly surprised with Trump's new direction in his Thursday interview.

"My worst nightmare was that the president would ... go down this populist 'burn it to the ground' ideology," said Beck.

"The good news is he's not going that way."

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, after months of scathing criticism of the president, similarly said Thursday that Trump "is finally doing what we've been hoping" in terms of the policy and posture changes.

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Glenn Beck: Trump 'another Republican who said stuff and didn't mean it' - The Hill

Protesters rally in favor of net neutrality at the FCC in 2015. Getty.

New FCC chair Ajit Pai has been clear that he intends to take a weed whacker to net neutrality regulations, but hes been very reluctant to open up about how exactly hes going to go about slicing them to bits. Last week, several outlets reported that Pai is finally gearing up for the fight, but no matter how badly Mr. Weed Whacker wants to dismantle net neutrality, hes got quite a battle ahead of him.

Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers should provide equal access to all lawful content on the internet, meaning no blocking sites and no speeding up or slowing down traffic to certain sites depending on whether theyre a competitor or not, for example. That isnt just an abstract threat: Comcast really did slow down traffic to Netflix a few years ago until Netflix paid the company to restore full speeds. Unsurprisingly, rules protecting net neutrality have been opposed by internet service providers (ISPs) and their trade groups, and supported by websites like Netflix and Google and their trade groups. Generally, ISPs have argued net neutrality rules stifle innovation and force them to increase costs. Net neutralitys supporters, meanwhile, argue that net neutrality is necessary to preserve the open and democratic character of the internet, and warn that without strong net neutrality rules, ISPs can prevent users from visiting some websites, or even redirect users from one website to a competing website.

The basic principles of net neutrality were enshrined in law by Obamas FCC in 2015 when it issued the Open Internet Order. There are two basic bits to this. First, the order reclassified broadband providers as common carriers under Title II of the Telecommunications Act, which took them out of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) jurisdiction and put them under the FCCs purview. Common carriers are services that carry traffic without discrimination or interference, like telephone service. (This is why you often hear that the order classified ISPs as utilities. That description isnt quite accurate, but it is basically right.) Second, the order established bright line rules about things internet providers couldnt do, such as paid prioritization or blocking for certain websites.

According to Reuters, Pais plan would involve overturning the classification of broadband providers as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act, which would return regulatory oversight of ISPs to the FTC.Pai also hopes to get ISPs to sign a voluntary agreement not to abuse their their control over your internet in the absence of net neutrality regulations.

Unfortunately, Pai hasnt deigned to tell the ol regular public, or really anyone who isnt a lobbyist, many details about the plan yet. It was reportedly outlined in a meeting with telecom trade groups last week, but none of those groups have filed anything with the FCC about what was discussed. From whats been reported, it seems the strategy resembles one outlined by broadband industry-and-Koch-brothers-funded think tank TechFreedom in November, when its president told PC World that the industry would likely promote a voluntary agreement plan promising no blocking of traffic, with FTC, not FCC, enforcement. Uncanny!

Even if ISPs signed onto a voluntary agreement, putting ISPs under FTC jurisdiction would essentially mean that nothing could be done to stop abuses until theyve already happened. The FTC enforces rules through court cases against violators, while the FCC seeks to stop abuses through preventative rules. And any enforcement would probably happen years after abuses come to lightthe FTCs case against Vizio for spying on customers viewing habits in 2014, for example, was settled in February of this year. The Democratic commissioner on the FTC, Terrell McSweeny, told Ars Technica this week that the FTC would struggle to enforce net neutrality principles because its not a very big agency, and cant act on every single complaint.

And a voluntary agreement with ISPs, as you might imagine, would lack teeth. Josh Stager, Policy Counsel at the Open Technology Institute, told Gizmodo the idea of such a voluntary agreement was a joke and a bait-and-switch. If ISPs violated their voluntary promises, customers would lack real recoursenot just because so few Americans have a choice of broadband provider, but because most broadband contracts include a mandatory arbitration clause, which makes it virtually impossible to participate in class action lawsuits against ISPs. Kate Forcsey, Government Affairs Associate Counsel at Public Knowledge, told Gizmodo that this kind of agreement is tantamount to parents telling children there will be a bedtime, but you get to choose when that bedtime is and were not going to check if you actually go to bed when you say you will.

Despite having a solid 2-1 majority on the FCC in his favor and the backing of the immensely powerful ISP lobby, Pai will still have a tough time getting this done. Rolling back the Title II classification would likely require a rulemaking proceeding, which involves enduring lengthy comment periodwhen the Open Internet Order was under consideration in 2015, the agency was flooded with a record 3.7 million comments, the overwhelming majority of which supported net neutrality regulations. If that happens again, Pai could legally ignore all those comments, but it would make it politically harder for him and for net neutralitys opponents to steam ahead. Gigi Sohn, a former counsel to ex-FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, told Gizmodo that all hell is going to break loose if Pai does open up the rollback to a full proceeding of the commission, comments and all. As she told the Wall Street Journal last week, protests over rolling back net neutrality could be even bigger than the fight over SOPA-PIPA, a widely-hated anti-piracy bill that died due to public outcry in 2012.

Another hurdle for Pai is Chevron vs. NRDC, a relatively obscure court case, which established a principle known as Chevron deference. That means courts will generally defer to an agencys interpretation of a vague statutein this case, the FCCs interpretation of the Telecommunications Act, when it reclassified internet providers as common carriers.

That means for Pai to overturn net neutrality through FCC rulemaking, and for that rule to stand up in court after an inevitable challenge by proponents, hell need a good argument for why the FCC was wrong in 2015 to reclassify broadband, or to show that market conditions have changed enough to warrant reclassification. Open Technologys Stager said thatll be a tough argument to make, because realistically, nothing about the nature of broadband service has changed in the past two years. Practically speaking, the only change is that we have a new administration. Having a new president isnt enough to make that argument. Sohn told Gizmodo that she thinks a Title II reversal only has about a 25 percent chance of success if it comes to a court case.

Not exactly. After all, why would Pai go with such a risky strategy? Why waste time and political capital on an unpopular rule thats likely to be overturned? Pai is a smart man; surely he knows this? Thats why someincluding Stager, former FCC counselor Sohn, and telecom sources who spoke to Bloomberg in Februarysuggest that Pais plan might actually be a ploy to pressure Democrats into compromising on net neutrality legislation in Congress.

Theres been chatter for a whileparticularly from Commerce Committee chair and Republican senator John Thuneabout passing a bill through Congress to codify net neutrality principles with new legislation. In January, Thune hinted at pressuring Democrats, saying, the threat of a new Republican-led FCC nullifying the rules could help bring Democrats to the negotiating table. At least one Senate Democrat, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, has already said he supports a bipartisan legislative fix.

Its a smart play for opponents of net neutrality. Having a Republican majority in both houses means its very likely that any law would be much more favorable to ISPs than the 2015 FCC order was. Most people who advocate for new legislation about net neutrality legislation are opponents, like TechFreedom, which once said net neutrality regulation was probably illegal. That should tell you a lot about whether legislation is likely to favor ISPs or consumers.

But theres hope for net neutrality advocates. For a start, its clear Pai knows that net neutrality is a politically touchy issue, and that supporters are well-organized and very, very loud. Thats why he has always said he supports net neutrality, just not Title II, which, coincidentally, is the exact position of the main ISP lobby group: Back in 2015, when the rules were passed, the Internet and Television Association (NCTA) said its decision to appeal the rules actually had nothing to do with net neutrality. Pai was on the FCC when those 3.7 million comments poured in; he knows that itll be a hard sell. Pai may even have ambitions to run for political office, according to Stager, and he knows that being the face of Comcast and AT&T isnt the best way to start down that road.

Youd be forgiven for being terrified about whats going to happen to net neutrality after the the bill overturning ISP privacy rules passed so quickly; most Americans had no idea it was even being debated until it was already too late. Those rules were overturned using the Congressional Review Act, meaning the bill didnt have to be debated in committee and only had to get 50 votes to pass. But a net neutrality bill cant be done through this fast-tracked method, because the CRA only applies to rules enacted in the last six months of an administration; they cant just take it out and shoot it in the yard at 4am. The longer its debated, the more time there is for advocacy groups to rally public opinion and action against the bill. If were lucky, Democrats might just figure that out.

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The Republican Plan to Kill the Open Internet - Gizmodo

Former President Barack Obama on Thursday remembered Dan Rooney as a great friend of mine, but more importantly, he was a great friend to the people of Pittsburgh, a model citizen, and someone who represented the United States with dignity and grace on the world stage.

The relationship between Mr. Rooney and Mr. Obama began late on a cold January night in 2008 when Mr. Rooney a lifelong Republican saw Mr. Obama deliver a speech following his victory in the Iowa caucuses.

This is the greatest speech Ive seen since John Kennedy, Mr. Rooney told his son, Jim, in a midnight phone conversation. He convinced me that this is more than just a good politician. I want to stand up and say something for this guy. I want to be involved in this.

Mr. Rooney would go on to publicly endorse Mr. Obama after meeting him during an April event at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Six months later, barely a week before the election, Mr. Rooney introduced the candidate at a packed rally in Civic Arena.

Shortly after being inaugurated as president on St. Patricks Day, no less Mr. Obama showed his appreciation to his newfound friend by tapping Mr. Rooney as U.S. ambassador to Ireland.

Despite his lack of political experience, few questioned Mr. Rooneys qualifications for the job. His family came from the Northern Ireland border town of Newry, and he had long been an advocate of Irish cause. In 1976, he and Tony OReilly, then president and CEO of H.J. Heinz Co., co-founded The American Ireland Fund, raising hundreds of millions of dollars to further peace efforts and other charitable Irish causes. Mr. Rooney and his wife, Patricia, also created the annual Rooney Prize for Irish Literature to recognize young Irish writers.

Mr. Rooneys Senate confirmation was a mere formality.

Anybody who would vote against Dan Rooney for ambassador will do so at their peril, said Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., before the meeting. The sooner theres an Ambassador Rooney in Dublin, the better off well be. ... Hes not a political appointee.

Confirmed in July 2009, Mr. Rooney tackled the job with enthusiasm, becoming the first U.S. ambassador to visit all 32 counties in Ireland, including the North, with his wife, Patricia, by his side. He held a town hall meeting during each visit, and in May 2011 accompanied Mr. Obama during the presidents visit to Dublin.

Upon leaving the foreign service office in 2012, Mr. Rooney called the time in Ireland a tremendous experience.

I have had a lifelong commitment to advancing the relationship between the American and Irish people and building peace on this beautiful island, but came unexpectedly into politics and diplomacy, Mr. Rooney wrote in an op-ed piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Ours is not a foreign relationship between two countries; our relationship is a shared kinship between two great peoples.

I knew hed do a wonderful job, Mr. Obama said in his remembrance Thursday. But naturally, he surpassed my high expectations, and I know the people of Ireland think fondly of him today. And I know the people of Pittsburgh, who loved him not only for the Super Bowl championships he brought as the owner of the Steelers, but for his generosity of spirit, mourn his passing today.

Michelle and I offer our condolences to the Rooney family, some of the most gracious and thoughtful people we know even as we celebrate the life of Dan Rooney: a championship-caliber good man.

Dan Majors: dmajors@post-gazette.com.

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Obama remembers lifelong Republican Dan Rooney - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

With the House in recess from April 11 to April 20, many representatives have returned to their respective districts to hold town halls and hear the voices of local constituents.

However, these constituents have come armed with lists of complaints, hoping that their representatives will take their thoughts and opinions into account when they return to the Capitol.

Since the beginning of the recess, several House GOP members have faced crowds of angry, vocal constituents at these town hall meetings. Below are a few examples, as reported by AP, of House Republicans who have faced town hall goers described as boisterous, heated and critical:

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MESA, Ariz. U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs was met with applause and boos at the Arizona Republicans first town hall meeting since taking office in January.

Biggs addressed topics such as health care and climate change during his town hall in Mesa Tuesday, which was attended by approximately 600 people. Some attendees said there was not enough time for everyones questions.

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Republican lawmakers are getting grilled by constituents at town halls across the country. CBS News' Nancy Cordes reports on the vocal Trump oppo...

Constituents from Biggs 5th Congressional District in southeastern metro Phoenix had been asking Biggs to hold the meeting.

In February, police were called to Biggs office in Mesa during a rally hosted by a group of protesters who said the representative did not make himself available to his voters.

Boos erupted from the crowd, filled with liberal and conservative constituents, when Biggs said he was skeptical of scientists who believe in human-caused global warming after reading reports from both sides.

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TROY, Ohio An Ohio town hall for the Republican who succeeded former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner in Congress got heated as a small but vocal group reacted to his comments on issues from the Environmental Protection Agency to Planned Parenthood.

The protesters were eventually forced to leave after about an hour of vocal opposition to Rep. Warren Davidson.

The Dayton Daily News reports that the protest group was chanting we the people as they left the room Tuesday night in Troy, about 68 miles (109 kilometers) north of Cincinnati. Although protesters voiced their disapproval, the majority of the 250-seat town hall was supportive of Davidson, with many wearing Trump stickers.

Davidson won a special election in the western Ohio district seat after Boehner resigned from the House in 2015.

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DENVER It was one of the most exclusive tickets in town: Only 800 were made available, and those lucky enough to score one had to show photo ID at the gate, where they were issued a wristband and a number. No signs bigger than a sheet of notebook paper were allowed, so as not to obscure anyones view.

The rules werent for a rock concert but for a town hall meeting Wednesday evening between Republican Rep. Mike Coffman and his suburban Denver constituents.

Town halls have become a risky proposition for GOP members of Congress since President Donald Trumps election. Liberal groups and constituents angry about the Trump agenda have flooded public meetings, asking their representatives tough questions, chanting, heckling them and even shouting them down in skirmishes that have made for embarrassing online video.

Play Video

Many members of Congress are facing heated questions from constituents at town hall meetings in their districts. More than 2,000 people showed up...

On Monday, for example, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, who became infamous for yelling You lie! at President Barack Obama during a speech to Congress in 2009, was himself confronted at a town hall by constituents chanting, You lie!

As a result, some Republicans arent holding town halls. And some of those who are going ahead with such events are taking steps to keep things from getting out of control.

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn faced tough questions and jeers during his first town hall meeting of the year in Colorado Springs.

The Gazette reports that more than 140 people packed into a room at a police substation for Wednesdays raucous meeting with the Republican lawmaker, including dozens of anti-Trump activists. At least 40 people waited outside, unable to fit in the room.

Whenever Lamborn referred to Obamacare, some in the crowd would shout back its official name Affordable Care Act or ACA.

Lamborn said long distance work was still being done by members of Congress on health care during the current recess.

After the meeting, Lamborn said he enjoyed it, calling it democracy in action. He is holding meetings in Canon City and Cripple Creek on Thursday.

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FLANDERS, N.J. New Jersey Republican Rep. Leonard Lance faced skeptical and boisterous voters Wednesday night who said they would be voting him out of office when he held his first town hall since the GOP effort to replace the Affordable Care Act failed.

Lance met with hundreds of constituents in his northern New Jersey district at Mount Olive High School in Flanders. It was his third town hall since Republican President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January.

The event came while lawmakers are on their Easter and Passover recess, with Trumps approval ratings flagging and after the presidents health care legislation fell apart last month thanks in part to Republicans like Lance who said they opposed it.

Unlike the previous events where protesters carried signs and held makeshift rallies outside the event, Wednesdays town hall had fewer people and placards, though police blocked people from taking them inside the auditorium.

Lance, who was first elected in 2008, was booed loudly when he said he supported blocking federal funding for abortion. He was also booed after he told voters President Barack Obama should have tried to work with Congress more on regulations, which led to an outburst from the audience that got Lances attention.

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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. An Oklahoma congressman canceled one of several planned town hall meetings in his district, citing safety concerns as his reason for not meeting with voters, who have been venting at Republican officials at such events in recent months.

U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin planned a stop Tuesday night at a high school in Tahlequah, about 145 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. But the three-term GOP congressman, who has been shouted down at recent town hall meetings, canceled the event shortly before the start.

In a statement, Mullin mentioned an escalation of protesters at recent town halls throughout the country and said he needs to provide a safe environment for all attendees. Mullin has planned 26 town halls in his district during Congress recess.

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House Republicans on recess face angry constituents at local town halls - CBS News