FreedomWorks, Club for Growth, and other conservative groups are urging Congress to fulfill Republicans’ seven-year long promise to repeal Obamacare.
After conservative senators opposed the Senate healthcare bill, known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have agreed to put forward a bill based upon the 2015 Obamacare repeal bill that would repeal large parts of the Affordable Care Act.
Tea Party Patriots President and co-founder Jenny Beth Martin cheered the death of the BCRA and argued that now is the time for Republicans to finally repeal Obamacare. Martin proclaimed:
Now that Senate Republicans have abandoned their watered-down Obamacare repeal efforts, we are hopeful that this will be the start of a new day in Washington. The time to drain the swamp and keep the promises made to the American people has finally come. If Republican senators wish not to squander their majority, they will work in good faith to fully repeal Obamacare as they promised time and time again. Full repeal means getting rid of all of the taxes, penalties, and mandates and freeing up the market so Americans have more choices, more freedom, and more affordability in the health insurance market. Working in good faith and truly keeping this critical promise will earn Republicans favor with the American people that will be highly important when the time comes to move on to other critical issues such as tax reform and growing the economy. We would like to thank the senators who have worked tirelessly to improve health insurance policy and encourage all senators to finally listen to the millions of people outside of the beltway who have been clamoring for full repeal of Obamacare and less government involvement in the health insurance market.
Heritage Action chief executive Michael Needham explained that anything less than repealing Obamacare will be catastrophic for the Republican Party and America. Needham stated:
For seven years, the Republican Party pledged it was the party of repeal. That longstanding promise cannot be allowed to die quietly on a Monday evening. Every single Senate Republican should vote to begin debate. They owe it to their constituents and the nation.
Once on the bill, they should vote in favor of the 2015-era Obamacare reconciliation bill. They are on record supporting that bill. To be clear though, even if that partial repeal is adopted by Senate Republicans, it will mark just the first step in a long process toward unraveling the damage caused by Obamacare. As Heritage Action cautioned last year, that bill ‘did not repeal the costly insurance rules, regulations, and mandates on plan offerings that have contributed to premiums skyrocketing, healthcare costs rising, and insurance plans being canceled.’ The faltering Senate bill made significant progress on that front.
Many conservatives are justifiably frustrated with the obstinance of their more liberal colleagues, but both wings of the Republican Party must continue working toward their longstanding promise of repealing and replacing Obamacare. Anything less will be catastrophic for the party and the nation.
Adam Brandon, chief executive for FreedomWorks, urged Americans to contact their senators and tell them to vote yes on an Obamacare repeal bill. He cautioned that even moderate senators such as Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Dean Heller (R-NV), and Rob Portman (R-OH) voted to repeal Obamacare in 2015. Brandon said:
Obamacare is imploding. More than 1,000 counties and five states have only one health insurance company offering plans on the Obamacare exchanges. Forty-five counties don’t have any insurer on the exchanges.
For more than seven years, Republicans successfully campaigned on Obamacare repeal. Senators made floor speeches in support of repeal, and, again, they voted to pass a repeal bill in December 2015, less than two years ago.
Today, we have a president who would sign a 2015-style repeal bill into law. In fact, President Trump is actively urging the Senate to pass such a bill. There are no more excuses. It’s time for Senate Republicans to follow through on nearly a decade’s worth of promises to grassroots conservative activists.
Club for Growth President David McIntosh declared that his organization will support efforts to pass the 2015 Obamacare repeal bill. McIntosh professed:
Club for Growth applauds Leader McConnell’s promise to bring the 2015 Obamacare repeal bill before the Senate. While the stories have already been written placing a nail in the coffin of repealing Obamacare, Club for Growth is not willing to retreat. Here’s to hoping that the third time’s the charm.
While short of perfection—the 2015 legislation leaves several Obamacare regulations in place—it is the best option Republicans currently have to begin to repeal Obamacare. And this should be a slam dunk. After all, Senate Republicans already passed this legislation once.
What’s changed between now and then is that in 2015 Republicans could hide behind President Obama’s veto. Well, Obama is no longer president and Senate Republicans got exactly what they wished for: a Republican in the White House who will sign repeal legislation brought to his desk. With the Obama impediment gone, moderate Republicans—most of whom supported the 2015 legislation—will now be forced to reveal their true colors.
It was easy for moderate Republicans to grandstand and regurgitate fiery political rhetoric when they knew repeal efforts would go nowhere, but now they will have to do something politicians don’t often do. And that is keep their promises.
Because it is vital for the overall goal of eventually repealing ALL of Obamacare, the Club for Growth is going to key vote in favor of the 2015 repeal bill. The vote will be included in the Club for Growth’s 2017 congressional scorecard.
FreedomWorks, Heritage Action, and Club for Growth put the 2015 Obamacare repeal bill on their congressional scorecards that detail how conservative some lawmakers are compared to other politicians. Conservative groups will champion lawmakers who vote to repeal Obamacare and deride politicians who vote against the bill.
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