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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 4 February 2017

GOP mulls ‘repairing’ Obamacare law it vowed to repeal

ALAN FRAM
RICARDO ZALDIVAR And as the party struggles sounding “repeal and re-
Associated Press to translate its long-time place” language on FOX
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- political mantra into legis- News Channel’s “Hannity”
publicans are increasingly lation that can pass Con- Thursday, saying “We are
talking about repairing gress, some Republicans absolutely committed” to
President Barack Obama’s are using gentler language. doing both simultaneously.
health care overhaul, a “It’s repairing the damage House Speaker Paul Ryan,
softer tone that comes as Obamacare has caused. R-Wis., says Republicans
their march to fulfill a key- It’s more accurate” than want to “rescue” the health
stone campaign prom- repeal and replace, said system and Thursday em-
ise encounters disunity, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R- braced all of the compet-
drooping momentum and Tenn., who chairs the Sen- ing phraseology.
uneasy voters. ate health committee. He “The best way to repair a
GOP lawmakers insist they noted that President Don- health care system is to re-
haven’t abandoned their ald Trump and many Re- peal and replace Obam-
goal of repeal, though Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee publicans like popular pro- acare,” he said.
they face lingering dis- Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., arrives early on Capi- visions like requiring family Talk of repair dismays oth-
putes about whether that tol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. Republicans are in- policies to cover children er Republicans, including
creasingly talking about ‘repairing’ President Barack Obama’s
should come before, after health care overhaul. up to age 26 and said, hard-line conservatives.
or simultaneously with a re- (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) “We’re not repealing all of They say the GOP pledge
placement effort. Obamacare.” since Democrats enacted
Republicans triumphantly til Jan. 27 to write bills dis- line meant little, but now Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., the 2010 law was to repeal
shoved a budget through mantling the law and sub- leaders are talking about who chairs the House En- it, later amended to “re-
Congress three weeks ago stituting a Republican plan. moving initial legislation by ergy and Commerce Com- peal and replace.”
that gave committees un- Everyone knew that dead- early spring. mittee, said Republicans “You’ve got to repeal the
are “laying the foundation law that’s the problem.
to rebuild America’s health That’s what we told the vot-
care markets as we dis- ers we were going to do,”
mantle Obamacare.” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-
The refined phraseology is Ohio, a leader of the con-
endorsed by Frank Luntz, servative House Freedom
the longtime GOP rhetoric Caucus. Jordan cites prob-
guru. He credited Sen. Ron lems that have accompa-
Johnson, R-Wis., with the nied the statute, including
idea, saying by email, “He rising premiums and de-
was right. Americans want ductibles and diminished
the ACA repealed and re- choices in some individual
paired,” using the Afford- insurance markets. He says
able Care Act’s acronym. health care would improve
The shifting language if Obama’s law vanishes.
comes with battles rag- “If you start from that prem-
ing over Trump’s Supreme ise, repair shouldn’t be your
Court and Cabinet nomi- mindset,” Jordan said.
nees. That and controver- Democrats say the GOP’s
sies surrounding his tem- evolving language signals
porary refugee ban have retreat. They say Republi-
sapped energy from the cans will threaten health
health care drive. care’s availability and raise
It also comes with polls rates, angering the 20 mil-
spotlighting GOP risks. A lion people who gained
recent Associated Press- insurance under the law
NORC Center for Public and tens of millions of oth-
Affairs Research poll found ers who benefit from the
53 percent want to keep statute’s coverage require-
Obama’s law in some form, ments. “It puts the burden
and 56 percent concerned on them to come up with
that repeal means many the so-called repairs,” said
will lose insurance. No. 2 Senate Democratic
Vice President Mike Pence leader Richard Durbin of Il-
stood by the tougher linois. q