Washington—Next week, the Senate will take a key procedural vote to begin debate on Republicans' seven-year promise to repeal and replace Obamacare. That vote is widely expected to fail, causing Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to announce yesterday that he would convene hearings to discuss bipartisan ways to stabilize the individual insurance market. Similar efforts are already underway in the House. Heritage Action released the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Needham:
"Until Senate Republicans demonstrate a willingness to come together and work with their colleagues to repeal and replace Obamacare, the near-term fight is to block a bailout of this failing law. Make no mistake, when lawmakers call for 'bipartisan market stabilization' they mean more taxpayer money and more regulations. That approach is unacceptable.
"Heritage Action supports the motion to proceed, which would be an indication of a willingness to work together. At this point Senate Republicans are clearly not inclined to bridge the significant policy divide within the party, even on something like the 2015 reconciliation bill that was vetoed in 2016. The only way to force those 52 individuals back to the table is to block efforts to prop up Obamacare. After seven years of promises, Republicans cannot simply retreat to the lowest common denominator in Washington of embracing the status quo."
Related:
Heritage Action: Next Steps on Obamacare (July 2017)
Heritage Action: Senate Republicans Promised to Repeal Obamacare, Not Bail it Out (July 2017)
Heritage: Why the Revised Senate Health Care Bill Is an Improvement Over the Status Quo (July 2017)
Heritage Action: Americans Need Relief from Obamacare (June 2017)