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    • Jeffries hits back after Johnson says GOP is considering changes to Obamacare
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    Jeffries hits back after Johnson says GOP is considering changes to Obamacare

    Pabio Posted on

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    WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans would not try to repeal the Affordable Care Act — although he said this week that GOP lawmakers were considering restructuring health care.

    The leader of the parliamentary minority, Hakeem Jeffries, says he does not believe it.

    Republicans have repeatedly tried to repeal the landmark 2010 health law, known as Obamacare, now in effect. very favored by most Americans, Jeffries emphasized in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY.

    “House Republicans have been obsessed with repealing the Affordable Care Act since 2010, when it was first signed into law. It’s clear as day to the American people, and it has now been affirmed by several members of the House Republican leadership,” Jeffries said. “They are determined to end the Affordable Care Act as it stands. we know it. “

    THE landmark health care law Medicaid expansion forced insurers to cover patients with pre-existing conditions and require coverage for preventive care. It also allowed young adults to continue on their parents’ health insurance until age 26 and established a number of consumer protections for people purchasing individual insurance.

    Although it was controversial when adopted, it is popular today. More than 60% of Americans have a favorable view of it.

    But what did Johnson say? In a video first reported by NBCThe speaker told attendees at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on Monday evening that health care reform would be on the Republican agenda in the first 100 days of the new Congress, if Republicans win both houses and the House. White House.

    “No Obamacare?” a crowd member asked Johnson after the speaker said the GOP wanted to “take a blowtorch to the regulatory state.”

    “No Obamacare,” he replied. “The ACA is so deeply entrenched that we need massive reform to make it work, and we have a lot of ideas on how to get there.”

    Johnson’s comments made the health care law a campaign issue in the final days before the election. Which party will win the House remains a free-for-all, and Johnson and Jeffries are scouring the country for vulnerable lawmakers.

    Democrats jumped on Johnson’s comments as an indicator that the party was considering another attempt to repeal the law, while Johnson said he had made “no such promises.”

    Johnson said Democrats misinterpreted his comments and former President Donald Trump’s campaign said he had no plans to end the ACA. Trump promised during his 2016 campaign to repeal this law.

    In an interview with Fox News On Thursday, Johnson told the outlet “What we’ve been talking about is we’re continually looking to lower the cost of health care for people, to protect those with pre-existing conditions…to expand access to care and quality of care. Johnson said, accusing Democrats of “lying” about his position.

    Jeffries said USA TODAY voters shouldn’t believe that explanation. He cited a CNN interview in which National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson said Congress could take bipartisan action to increase access and reduce health care costs, before adding: “I agree with the speaker that we should think carefully about this. to our health care policies.

    Democrats have also proposed changes to current health care law, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan to expand benefits to elderly care at home. But Jeffries told USA TODAY that “we are committed as House Democrats to protecting the Affordable Care Act.”

    The most recent Republican effort to rein in the Affordable Care Act was defeated in 2017, when Trump was president, by three Senate Republicans joining with Senate Democrats to kill the bill.

    During this election cycle, Trump has remained vague about his plans for health care reform if re-elected for another term.

    “I’m going to keep the Affordable Care Act unless we can do something much better,” Trump said. said in August. “We’ll keep it. It stinks. It’s not good. If we can do something better, we’ll do something with it if we can do better, which means cheaper and better health care for you.”

    Other Republicans continued to push to end the health care legislation. Sen. Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, reposted Johnson’s comments Thursday and wrote: “Kill Obamacare now.” »

    Asked during the presidential debate in September to clarify his plan, Trump said he had “notions of a plan” to change the ACA.

    Pabio
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