Dems press GOP to take a position on killing Obamacare
WASHINGTON – House Democrats are forcing Republicans to take a stand on President Trump’s new position that the courts should completely overturn Obamacare.
Democrats brought up for debate a resolution Tuesday condemning the pending challenge to the law as an “unacceptable assault on the health care of the American people.”
It’s Democrats’ latest effort to take advantage of Trump’s unexpected move last week to fully back the legal challenge to the 2010 Affordable Care Act without a ready substitute. The decision surprised congressional Republicans who were focused on narrower health care measures – such as reducing the cost of prescription drugs – after failing in 2017 to come up with a replacement for the ACA.
White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that a one- or two-page proposal would be sent to Congress, and lawmakers could hash out the specifics.
But Trump tweeted late Monday that Congress wouldn’t vote on the GOP plan until after the 2020 election.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trump wants to “hold Americans hostage through the 2020 election” on health care.
“He promises, ‘Reelect me and maybe you can take a peek at my backup plan after that’ – which they don’t have,” Schumer said at a news conference early Tuesday on the steps of the Supreme Court.
The Democrats’ resolution lists popular parts of the ACA that would end if the law is scrapped, including: protections for people with preexisting conditions; an expanded Medicare drug benefit; limits on how much insurers can charge older customers; subsidies for people who buy insurance on their own; expanded Medicaid eligibility for participating states; and allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance plans.
A vote on the nonbinding measure is set for Wednesday.
“This is going to be a really tough issue” for Republicans, said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of the advocacy group Protect our Care. “Are they ready to break with the president on the full repeal of health care?”