7 May 2017 - As they take their victory lap for passing a bill that would repeal and replace much of the Affordable Care Act, President Trump and congressional Republicans have been largely silent about one of the most remarkable aspects of what their legislation would do: take a step toward dismantling a vast government entitlement program, something that has never been accomplished in the modern era.

Fighting the expansion of the so-called welfare state is a fundamental premise of the American conservative movement. But as tens of millions of Americans have come to rely on coverage under the 2010 health law, Republicans have learned the political risks of being seen as taking a hatchet to the program, however imperfect it may be.

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