Top Republicans: Repealing Obamacare High Priority Next Legislative Session
Immediately after Donald Trump’s stunning victory in Tuesday’s presidential election, leading Republicans have come out to express their determination to repeal Obamacare.
In a pair of celebratory but relatively muted press conferences, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) each cited the repeal of Obama’s signature health care law as a major priority for the next legislative session.
In the Senate press conference, a reporter asked McConnell directly whether he intended to move on the Affordable Care Act “right away.”McConnell said, “It is a pretty high item on the agenda. I would be shocked if we did not move forward to keep our commitment to the American people.”
Ryan expressed similar sentiments at his press conference, saying that the “health care law is not popular.”
The statements are not at all surprising. House Republicans have passed bills to repeal the law more than 50 times, and in January, the Senate finally passed a version of a repeal bill as well.
Appearing on Sean Hannity Thursday night, Dr. Ben Carson also suggested that he’s open to helping President-elect Donald Trump repeal and replace Obamacare. “I think the replacement obviously must come first,” Carson said, “and it must be something that is very appealing and easy to understand. And then, only then, would you dismantle what’s in place.”
https://youtu.be/T3_drn6i0Hc
With Obamacare about to enter its fourth year of full operation, any significant changes would create major disruption, perhaps enough to give Republicans pause ― especially because of the potential for a political backlash.
Since Republicans now have control of the House, Senate and Executive Branch, we’ll see just how serious they have been about repealing the law all along.
