ACA 'repair' more accurate than 'repeal,' GOP says

Top Republicans in Congress are beginning to change the way they talk about healthcare reform, The Hill reports.

Some senators and representatives have begun to adopt a more nuanced rhetoric in place of the "repeal and replace" motto that has prevailed since President Donald Trump was elected, according to the report. This may be a move to better align the public's expectation with reality. Republicans currently plan to repeal unpopular portions of the law through the budget reconciliation process, which is limited to only budget-related provisions.

"I think it is more accurate to say repair Obamacare because, for example, in the reconciliation procedure that we have in the Senate, we can't repeal all of Obamacare," said Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., according to The Hill. "Obamacare wasn't passed by reconciliation, it can't be repealed by reconciliation. So we can repair the individual market, which is a good place to start."

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have voiced sentiments similar to Sen. Alexander, according to The Hill.

However, some Republicans are standing by the promise to repeal the law, including Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, according to the report.

Republicans appear to be split over the ACA taxes — some members of Congress believe they should be kept in place to help fund a replacement plan, while others say they've got to go no matter what. Also at issue is Medicaid expansion, which has benefited many red states.

Read the full report here.

 

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