Angst grows in GOP over ObamaCare repeal plan
Republican congressional leaders are moving quickly to pass an ObamaCare repeal bill, but want to delay when it takes effect. That would give them time to develop a new healthcare plan that could be presented later this year.
But several Republican lawmakers across the ideological spectrum are warning against the strategy, saying it would create uncertainty in the market while serving only to kick the can on difficult decisions.
Some Republican senators are pointing to President-elect Donald Trump’s own comments in favor of doing repeal and replacement at the same time.
Send Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Friday night tweeted that he had spoken to Trump and said the president-elect supported his plan to repeal and replace simultaneously.
“I just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and he fully supports my plan to replace Obamacare the same day we repeal it. The time to act is now.” Paul tweeted.
If Trump came out against the congressional plan to repeal without a replacement immediately available, it could kill the plan.
“We’re going to do it simultaneously,” Trump told CBS’s “60 Minutes” shortly after the election. “It’ll be just fine.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) was one of the first lawmakers, along with Paul, to object to the lack of an immediate replacement plan.