House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pushed back against GOP claims of commitment to preserving the Affordable Care Act, pointing to the party’s history of pledging to repeal it.
Jeffries’ remarks came in response to House Speaker Mike Johnson, who recently stated that Republicans have no plans to repeal the ACA, even though he acknowledged that GOP lawmakers are still aiming for a major healthcare overhaul. This comes after years of consistent Republican attempts to dismantle the 2010 law, commonly known as Obamacare.
“House Republicans have been obsessed with repealing the Affordable Care Act since 2010, the moment it was first enacted. It’s clear as day to the American people, and that has now been affirmed by multiple members of House Republican leadership,” Jeffries told USA Today. “They are determined to end the Affordable Care Act as we know it.”
Johnson initially mentioned at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on Monday night that healthcare reform would be on the Republican agenda within the first 100 days of the new Congress if they secure both chambers and the White House.
“No Obamacare,” he replied. “The ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work, and we’ve got a lot of ideas of how to do that.”
The ACA was deemed controversial when it was first enacted during President Obama’s administration. The landmark healthcare law expanded Medicaid, made it a requirement for insurers to cover patients with preexisting conditions, and required preventative care coverage. It also allowed young adults to remain on their parent’s health insurance until age 26 and introduced various consumer protections for individuals purchasing their own insurance.
Although the healthcare policy initially faced opposition, polling now shows that over 60% of Americans support it. Democrats see Johnson’s recent comments as a signal that Republicans may attempt to repeal the law again, despite Johnson’s statement that he has made “no such promise.”
“What we were talking about is we are on a continual quest to lower the cost of health care for people, to protect those with preexisting conditions… to expand access to care and the quality of care,” Johnson told Fox News while accusing Democrats of “lying” about his position.
However, Jeffries denounces Johnson’s claims. He and other Democrats have also proposed changes to current healthcare law, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan to expand benefits for at-home senior care.
“We’re committed as House Democrats to protecting the Affordable Care Act,” Jeffries said.
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