GOP talk shifts from replacing ObamaCare to repairing it

Key Republican lawmakers are shifting their goal on ObamaCare from repealing and replacing the law to the more modest goal of repairing it.

It’s a striking change in rhetoric that speaks to the complexities Republicans face in getting rid of the Affordable Care Act. Many of the law’s provisions are popular, and some parts of the law that the GOP does want to repeal could have negative repercussions on the parts seen as working.

“I'm trying to be accurate on this that there are some of these provisions in the law that probably will stay, or we may modify them, but we're going to fix things, we're going to repair things,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.), a key player on healthcare, told reporters Tuesday.

Source

For years the GOP have been complaining about how terrible the ACA is. They've stated time and again that they would dismantle it when they get the chance. And now when it's time to put up or shut up they're backing down.

I guess after saying no for eight years the GOP forgot how hard it is to actually do their job. Or maybe they never had any intention of getting rid of the ACA. It is the brainchild of their own think tank after all. Instead it was just a nice rallying point to gather around to get elected.

If I was a GOP voter I'd be fuming right now. But I'm sure there will be those people coming in soon to tell me how this was always the plan.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

I really want someone to tell me that the Republican and Democrat parties are that different from each other.

Give me a shout when they stop serving the same groups lobbying both sides simultaneously.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Annoying, I was really hoping they would do something drastic that might actually be good for the people- not this nonsense.

Ban health insurance!

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Two sides of the same coin.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Well finally. The same thing I and most onthe left have been saying forever.

Congress let it sit there and did nothing to correct problems because it served their purpose.

Now they realize it wasn't a "disaster" as much as it was a very large vessel in need of a course correction to make it more fair for everyone.

Perhaps a benefit of them actually having to put on big boy pants and govern is that now they see how some adjustments will give Americans affordable care. Wow!

But it remains to be seen what they will consider improvements. We shall see...


ETA: a single payer option would still be awesome.

It does need tweaking, just as HILLARY said.

They have to repeal it to put improve it. Only parts were ever meant to be replaced
Poor , poor Leftists , putting spin , tripe , and rhetoric to everything. Just more evidence how much the entire Party is imploding

originally posted by: Gothmog
They have to repeal it to put improve it. Only parts were ever meant to be replaced
Poor , poor Leftists , putting spin , tripe , and rhetoric to everything. Just more evidence how much the entire Party is imploding

EXACTLY!

Trump in his very first interview with Leslie Stall was very clear some parts of the ACA wouldn't change, specifically the "existing conditions"clause and keeping kids on their parents plan till they were 26.

The fact no one is "remembering" this and making hay over terminology now being used is a waste of a Thread.

a reply to: Caver78

That's what Trump said. For the past eight years the GOP members of Congress have clamored on and on about repealing the ACA. It wasn't until recently that there was even any kind of talk of replacement. And even then most of that talk is coming from Trump. Not Congress. Which is who this thread is about.

Got'cha

a reply to: Xcalibur254

It does not matter what they do. They are republicans, so they are not going to make healthcare a taxpayer funded, national institution, which is the only acceptable way to provide healthcare to a nation. Anything else is exploitation.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

lol Congress Republicans, when Obama was POTUS, tried over 60 times to REPEAL the ACA. Operative word, "repeal". Boehner, "repeal". Ryan, "repeal". McConnell, "repeal". And their supporters bought it hook, line, sinker.

Republicans grandstanded on this. Got re-elected on this. Campaign dollars rolled in because of these promises. And they're not ready NOW to do what they promised for years? Despicable... real life, not the movie.

Your typical Republican congressmen wouldn't have opposed ObamaCare if it was put forward by one of their own.

IIRC the ridiculous scheme was originally put out by the ultra-conservative heritage foundation.

A horrible piece of legislation. But it benefits corporations enormously and screws over the little guy more often than not so both major parties' establishments can get right behind it.

Obamacare works as long as Big Pharma doesn't dictate its prices making it far too expensive. In order to get it pass Congress, Obama struck a deal with Big Pharma to let Big Pharma dictate the terms. That's what's bad about it.

another promise kept: check

On the 23rd of Jan they announced a new plan. It's basically a 3part deal. It's called the Patient Freedom Act 2017.

1. If you like ACA You can keep it.

2. If you like the new Healthcare, the new administration comes up with you can get it

3. Opt out of insurance allowing together to with no fine(this is the part of ACA I think they are repealing)

Did something change since then or are they still talking about this?

Talking starts at 22mins

How many times did the Democrats asks the Republicans to help fix what wasn't working?

And they got the door slammed in their face.

Not only slammed the door, but did everything they could to make it fail.

Everyone should be PO'd at the Republicans for not working with the Dem's to make it right.

The choices were few, either for it, scrap it or modify it.

Modifying was always going to the inevitable choice as the infrastructure is already in place. So in a sense, they are still moving forward. Key changes initiated, this opens up some room to continue figuring out a good system. Then there is the whole, make key changes, works good enough its simply pushed out of the way to make room for other pressing agendas.
Regardless, I don't think GOP voters will be fuming, rather give a shot and see how things will go.

originally posted by: Annee
How many times did the Democrats asks the Republicans to help fix what wasn't working?

And they got the door slammed in their face.

Revisionist history. Republicans tried to change things, but were ignored which is why ZERO Republicans voted for it.

originally posted by: TheBulk

originally posted by: Annee
How many times did the Democrats asks the Republicans to help fix what wasn't working?

And they got the door slammed in their face.

Revisionist history. Republicans tried to change things, but were ignored which is why ZERO Republicans voted for it.

That's total BS.

From the day Obama took office they were bent on making him fail.

And Obamacare is part of that.