Paul Ryan on Thursday went to new lengths to defend the House Republican bill to replace Obamacare.
Ryan rolled out a Panasonic television at the start of his weekly press conference and delivered a PowerPoint presentation identifying deficiencies of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, to explain the process the GOP is using to overhaul the healthcare system.
The new tactic comes amid criticism of the new bill — named the American Health Care Act — by a variety of groups.
Conservative Republicans argue that the new legislation would not go far enough in repealing Obamacare. Moderate Republicans are worried the law's provisions on Medicaid funding would leave people without coverage in states that expanded the program. Democrats are concerned that the law would kick millions of people off their coverage.
Conservative think tanks have also criticized the law as "Obamacare Lite." Medical groups including the American Medical Association have also opposed the law, and the top interest group of the health-insurance industry offered changes it would like to see in the law.
Ryan has been on a media blitz to defend the law after these groups raised concerns, telling Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night that the process was not in "chaos."
President Donald Trump also responded to unflattering reports surrounding the legislation's development Thursday.
"Despite what you hear in the press, healthcare is coming along great," he tweeted. "We are talking to many groups and it will end in a beautiful picture!"
While Ryan's presentation stuck mostly to Republican talking points that Ryan has covered before, the addition of the visuals brought a new element to what is becoming a wild first week of developments for the legislation.
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