McConnell: Obamacare ‘crashing;’ next president must fix it

LOUISVILLE, KY. >> U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell predicted Monday that the federal health care overhaul championed by President Barack Obama is likely to undergo changes next year, regardless of who wins the White House and which party has the upper hand in Congress.

The Kentucky Republican, who has long advocated repealing the Affordable Care Act, told a business audience in his hometown that the law “can’t possibly go on like it is.” He predicted the overhaul “will be revisited by the next president, whoever that is.”

McConnell said the 2010 health care law, which passed without a single Republican vote when Democrats still controlled both houses of Congress, “is crashing” under the weight of rising premiums and the exit of big-name insurers that will limit consumer choice in many markets.

“All of this was entirely predictable,” McConnell said.

Those problems will make the law ripe for changes when the next Congress convenes next year, he said.

“My prediction is that ‘Obamacare’ will be revisited next year, no matter who wins the election, no matter who’s in control of Congress,” McConnell said. “Because things that can’t work, won’t work, and will need to be revisited by popular demand from people all across the country.”

During a question-and-answer session with the audience, McConnell declined to offer specifics when asked what would be included in any legislation. The senator said the extent of changes will hinge on the November election.