Republican Senator Introduces Resolution to Repeal Obamacare

The Senate has opened a debate on a resolution setting in motion the Republican drive to repeal the Democratic-backed 2010 Affordable Care Act, known as “Obamacare”. Obama encouraged Democrats to do what’s necessary to preserve the ACA, whereas Republicans vowed to gut the Affordable Care Act once they take control of Congress and the White House.

The law has enabled upward of 20 million Americans who previously had no medical insurance to get coverage and is considered Obama’s top legislative achievement.

Congressional Republicans Wednesday began to make good on their promise to dismantle Obamacare even though they have said they have no full plan to replace the much needed healthcare program.

The Senate is expected to take up repeal legislation next week and the House will follow, Ryan said.

Republicans, despite having voted more than 60 times to repeal Obamacare, have never had a legitimte replacement plan.

The Democrats’ message is that Republicans risk throwing the entire USA healthcare system into chaos by moving to dismantle the 2010 Affordable Care Act, without a plan to replace it.

Just Thursday, House Speaker Paul Ryan also announced that lawmakers will act this year on repealing President Barack Obama’s health care law and replacing it with a Republican alternative.

“Our primary job is to lay out what the consequences are of repealing without replacement, which was promised for years and years”, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told reporters as he left the meeting.

“If you are repealing, show us what you’ll replace it with first”.

But Mr Pence, after meeting fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill, said they would bring about a “smooth transition to a market-based healthcare reform system”. It’s going to rip a hole in the deficit, in the federal budget, and the deficit will go up, if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

Trump also says the law “will fall of its own weight – be careful”.

Brat suggested that the new Republican legislation should strengthen health savings accounts, noting that “when you park a few thousand dollars in an HSA, your healthcare will be way cheaper than anything that’s out there now”.