Brandishing a new slogan, “Make America Sick Again” adapted from President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, Democrats are holding rallies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, featuring the stories of thousands of the red-state Americans who have benefited from Obamacare. Those rallies will culminate in several nationwide events beginning Jan. 15 where they will warn of the chaos to ensue if the health law is repealed without a replacement plan. They’re also urging followers to bombard lawmakers’ district offices and phone lines with calls against repeal.
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Grace-Marie Turner joined Ashley Webster on Fox Business to talk about replacing the failed Affordable Care Act. Turner pushed back that Republicans have no replacement plans of their own, emphasizing that HHS designate Tom Price has been introducing replace legislation since the ObamaCare debate began, many other legislators have comprehensive bills, and Speaker Ryan led a major effort last year to develop a “Better Way” plan. The leadership’s mission is to provide a transition—a life boat—for people currently receiving ObamaCare coverage while building a bridge to better coverage.
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Conservatives make a mistake if they assume Americans went to the voting booth with a specific desire to see the 2015 partial ObamaCare repeal bill passed. In fact, Trump and GOP majorities were elected to solve a problem — making quality, affordable healthcare more than an empty slogan — and now the GOP needs to deliver. They recommend, among other proposals, legislation to give states more power and resources to create insurance market with real choices and lower premiums, including allowing insurers to sell more flexible plans than ObamaCare allows, continuing protections for those with pre-existing conditions, and making coverage affordable for those who truly need help.
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Don’t be fooled—the debate over whether to scrap the health care law is not yet over, and what appears to be merely a question of timing is about much more than that. Republicans will have to tread a careful path that balances a desire to abandon Obamacare as soon as possible with the need to respect the reality that the complexities of changing the system will persist well beyond any near-term bill signing ceremonies. It’s true that widespread, sudden disruption of existing health insurance arrangements could short-circuit a workable transition to more market-oriented and less Washington-centric health policy reforms. While the risk of ending up on the merry-go-round of ACA replacement proposals lacking sufficient support, depth, or effectiveness is real, there are risks posed by the opposite reaction: the desire for quick and simple repeal.
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President-elect Donald Trump lashed out at Democrats on Thursday over their efforts to preserve Obamacare, denouncing the measure as a “lie” as he called for a less expensive and more effective health care system. “The Democrats, lead by head clown Chuck Schumer, know how bad Obamacare is and what a mess they are in,” Mr. Trump wrote in the first of three posts on Twitter. “Instead of working to fix it, they do the typical political thing and BLAME,” Trump continued on Twitter. “The fact is Obamacare was a lie from the beginning. ‘Keep you doctor, keep your plan!’” He said it was time for Republicans and Democrats to work together on a “plan that really works — much less expensive & FAR BETTER!”
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Republicans won the first skirmish in the Obamacare fight Wednesday, voting to begin debating fast-track budget procedures that, if successful, would allow the GOP to kill the 2010 health care law without having to face a Democratic filibuster in the Senate. The 51-48 vote, on the second day of the 115th Congress, underscores how serious Republicans are in making good on their repeal pledge. But it also signaled that Democrats are just as committed to defending the Affordable Care Act.
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