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Republicans in the U.S. Congress struggled on Thursday with their efforts to dismantle the Obamacare healthcare law, with conservatives urging haste while some lawmakers said the task was turning out to be more of a repair job than a repeal.

Two influential conservatives in the House of Representatives, worried that the process of scrapping Obamacare was getting bogged down, said the repeal measure that the Republican-majority Congress passed last year should be taken up quickly.

But in the Senate, a key Republican, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, counseled patience. Alexander, who is chairman of the Senate health committee, said changes to the healthcare law would be made in "chunks" and would be better labeled a "repair."

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"It's more accurate to talk about repairing it ... we're repairing the damage Obamacare has done," Alexander said outside the Senate.

Protesters support the Affordable Care Act, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 20, 2016. Lisa Lake/Getty

"We're not repealing all of Obamacare, it's not technically possible to do that (now) in the procedures that we have in the Senate, and secondly, there are some parts of it we want to keep," he said.

President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans campaigned on a promise to dismantle Obamacare, which they consider federal government overreach. They have been working on fulfilling that pledge as an early product of Republican control of both the White House and Congress.

But while both chambers voted last month to start the process of scrapping the law, they missed a target date of Jan. 27 to start drafting legislation to do so. At a congressional retreat last week, Republican leaders told lawmakers they hoped Congress would finish the Obamacare repeal by March or April.

Representative Mark Meadows, chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus, and Representative Jim Jordan, the caucus' former chairman, urged the party leadership on Thursday to quickly enact an Obamacare repeal measure.

"That's what the American people expect us to do and they expect us to do it quickly," they said.

Former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and it has long been opposed by Republicans. He vetoed the repeal passed by Congress last year.

Three of the biggest national insurers have also stepped up pressure on the lawmakers to act. Aetna Inc, Anthem Incand Cigna Corpthis week urged changes in Obamacare individual plan regulations in the next few weeks, in time for them to decide if they will sell the products in 2018.

They want stricter oversight of eligibility and enrollment periods, as well as other changes. Without them, these insurers say they may pull out of the Obamacare exchanges next year, which would lead to less competition and higher premium rates. Rates for 2017 rose an average of 25 percent.

Democrats were enjoying the Republican turmoil. They have long accused Republicans of rushing to gut the Affordable Care Act, without having a replacement plan ready. The law has enabled up to 20 million previously uninsured Americans to obtain health coverage.

"They (Republicans) havent come up with the so-called repairs," the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, said in a hallway. "What a departure (for the Republicans), from 'let's repeal it and walk away from it and America will be a better place.'"

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Republicans Struggle to Gut Obamacare - Newsweek

Sacramento Bee

California shellackin': Trump lost ground in Republican-leaning cities around state Sacramento Bee President Donald Trump has suggested that fraud caused him to lose California by almost 4.3 million votes, a major component of the Republican's 2.8 million vote loss nationwide. He has pledged to launch a major investigation of voting procedures.

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California shellackin': Trump lost ground in Republican-leaning cities around state - Sacramento Bee

When Jeff FlakeJeff FlakeWestern Republicans seek new federal appeals court Republican leadership: The new silent majority Republicans who oppose, support Trump refugee order MORE, the junior Republican senator from Arizona, was a young congressional staffer serving in the House of Representatives in the mid-1990s, he signed up for an ill-fated staff delegation to Southern Africa, with a stop in Zaire, which is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Upon arrival, Flake, along with two other staffers, boarded a WWII-vintage DC-3 and flew from Kinshasa, the capital city, to Jamba, in Southern Angola. It was to be a mission of U.S. advocacy for peace.

I thought about that story this weekend, because it reminded me that the senator has guts, and is willing to take political risks.

That was certainly true this Saturday, when he became one of the first Republican members of Congress to speak out against President Trumps executive order to halt the entry into the U.S. of all citizens from seven designated, and largely Muslim, nations, and to freeze the re-settlement of refugees from war-torn Syria.

The executive order was issued without exception, regardless of visa or green card status, and irrespective of the circumstances of the individual or family impacted. It was a blanket action.

Flake tweeted out, "President Trump and his administration are right to be concerned about national security, but its unacceptable when even legal permanent residents are being detained or turned away at airports and ports of entry. Enhancing long-term national security requires that we have a clear-eyed view of radical Islamic terrorism without ascribing radical Islamic terrorist views to all Muslims."

My view on immigration executive order https://t.co/9PvXbqE5JK

Within 24 hours, a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, issued an emergency stay, permitting the entry into the U.S. of those with valid visas and green cards.

But the collateral damage continues.

No doubt, all Americans should be concerned with protecting the homeland. But the White House executive order on immigration is just bad policy masquerading as political theatre.

There was no justification for the countries selected. No imminent threat. These seven nations were on a list that the State Department submits to the Congress of those states harboring terrorists or foreign fighters, without correlation to the threat posed to U.S. citizens in America.

The Trump surrogates who have come out to justify the White House action, including press secretary Sean Spicer, could not, or will not, walk viewers through their decision-making process. The righteousness of their position is non-negotiable.

If you are not with us, you are against strong borders, you are weak on immigration, you are against protecting America from Islamic Extremists. Such hyperbole is really dangerous, particularly when it is not challenged by those with the constitutional responsibility to do so.

Sean Spicer says Trumps immigration order isnt banning people. Thats a lie. https://t.co/2QHjr5r8SM

Other than Flake, the Republican members of Congress who have spoken out are few and far between. Only a few Houses members and a handful other senators have criticized the action, including Sen. John McCainJohn McCainDem offers bill to remove Bannon from National Security Council Republican leadership: The new silent majority GOP senators press Pence behind closed doors over refugee order MORE (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey GrahamSessions approved by Senate committee GOP going nuclear over Gorsuch might destroy filibuster forever Republican leadership: The new silent majority MORE (R-S.C.), who said in a joint statement "we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism."

Meanwhile, the Republican congressional leadership has been on mute. Said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellMitch McConnellManchin to meet with Trump's Supreme Court pick Schumer: Trump's Supreme Court pick will need 60 votes Centrist Dems won't rule out Supreme Court filibuster MORE (R-Ky.) on ABCs This Week, The president has a lot of latitude to try to secure the country, and Im not going to make a blanket criticism of this effort.

And yesterday, breaking his silence, Speaker of the House Paul RyanPaul RyanHouse begins to map out infrastructure strategy Homeland Security chairman suggests changes possible to Trump refugee order Republican leadership: The new silent majority MORE (R-Wis.) announced that he stood firmly behind Trumps move to suspend the refugee-resettlement program and temporarily block entry into the United States from seven majority-Muslim countries, but regretted the confusion surrounding its implementation.

I fully appreciate the importance of party loyalty, particularly during the first 100 days of a new presidency, but not when decisions are ill-constructed, and violate the fundamental values that define our country.

So good for Flake, for McCain, for Graham, and for all of those Republican members who challenged the president. Because in the end, blind loyalty is corrosive to our democratic institutions and will diminish our leaders, not empower them.

K. Riva Levinson is president and CEO of KRL International LLC, a DC-based consultancy that works in the worlds emerging markets, and author of "Choosing the Hero: My Improbable Journey and the Rise of Africa's First Woman President" (Kiwai Media, June 2016).

The views of contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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Republican leadership: The new silent majority - The Hill (blog)

Jeff Sessions (Generated by JG JPEG Library)

The Jeff Sessions nomination has made it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 11-9. Straight party-line vote.

Sigh.

I knew that the Sessions confirmation was likely unstoppable. I knew that it was a foolish hope to think that Republican Senators would turn on one of their former colleagues, simply because his record suggests hes a racist. Thats not a dealbreaker for Republicans. I knew that.

But I did think that the Muslim Ban might be so horrible to pull at least one or two of these guys off message. Ben Sasse is on the Judiciary Committee. Lindsey Graham is on the Judiciary Committee. So is Jeff Flake. Would none of them of the guts to demand that Sessions clarify his position on this executive order before rubber stamping his nomination?

Things did get heated during the final vote, but not from the people who mattered. Ted Cruz blasted Al Franken who blasted back, until John Cornyn white knighted Cruz. But if I tell you Al Franken was on one side and Ted Cruz was on the other, I dont even have to tell you the issue they were fighting over for you to make up your mind you who support. The Senators one might hope would give a second thought to Sessions after the Muslim ban, didnt waver.

The nomination will now go to the full Senate where Sessions is expected to be overwhelmingly confirmed. I should get used to typing that.

Sen. Jeff Sessions Wins Senate Committee Approval for Attorney General Post [NBC News]

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It Would Appear Republican Senators Like The Muslim Ban Enough To Support Jeff Sessions - Above the Law

Forbes

Seven Questions To Ask About Republican Health Plans Forbes Republican proposals to replace Obamacare seem to be emerging at a dizzying pace. To help sort through them, my brother Jeff Goodman has prepared the chart below. Meanwhile, there are seven key questions to ask in evaluating the adequacy of each of ... Republicans Must Use Obamacare Policies To Stabilize Healthcare Market, Top Republican SaysBuzzFeed News A conservative Republican explains his plan to replace ObamacareVox Nancy Pelosi: Republicans' health care plan will make America sick againCNN all 620 news articles »

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Seven Questions To Ask About Republican Health Plans - Forbes