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THEN & NOW: Republican Hypocrisy on the Affordable Care Act

Press Types
Issue Report
For Immediate Release:
2017-01-12T00:00:00
Contact Info:

Mariel Saez 202-225-3130

Ahead of House Republicans’ vote to begin the process to repeal the Affordable Care Act tomorrow, here’s a look at Republican hypocrisy on the ACA over the last six years:

THEN REPEAL AND REPLACE: Since Republicans presented their “Pledge to America” in 2010, they have been promising the American people that they would repeal and replace the ACA.

GOP Pledge to America: “We offer a plan to repeal and replace the government takeover of health care with common sense solutions focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs.”

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI): “We think [the healthcare situation in America] is so urgent that, next year, we are going to unveil a plan to replace every word of Obamacare.” [12/3/15]

Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA): “If and when the opportunity comes, the House will be ready to repeal Obamacare and work on a new plan to replace it that better addresses the American people’s health care concerns.” [Statement, 3/23/15]

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA): “The time is now to bring an Obamacare replacement bill to the House floor that lowers costs and puts patients back in charge of their health care decisions.” [Politico, 5/28/14]

NOWOver six years later – and after 65 votes to repeal or undermine the law – they still don’t have a replacement plan:

“Congressional Republicans, however, are nowhere close to proposing a plan to replacethe sweeping healthcare law, let alone having something in place that can be voted on, withstand a Senate filibuster and be sent to the White House for Trump's signature.” [CNN, 1/11/17]

THEN READ THE BILL: In 2009, Republicans demanded transparency and wanted to ensure that Members had time to read legislation before voting on it.

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI): “I don’t think we should pass bills that we haven’t read and don’t know what they cost.” [MSNBC, 7/29/09]

Chairman of the Budget Committee and HHS Secretary Nominee Tom Price (R-GA): “So what should we do with this health care bill? Well, I would suggest that we read the bill…” [Floor Remarks, 7/28/09]

Former Speaker John Boehner (R-OH): “Have you read the bill? Have you read the reconciliation bill? Have you read the manager's amendment? Hell no you haven’t!” [Floor Remarks, 3/21/10]

NOW– No one can read their ACA replacement bill – because there isn’t one. Yet Republican leaders are moving forward with their plan to begin the process of repealing the ACA anyway and claiming that they will replace it quickly.

Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “We will be replacing it rapidly after repealing…very quickly. The first step will be taken in the Senate by the end of this week, and then it will go over to the House.” [1/8/17]

Their lack of an alternative is making Members nervous:

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC): “We just need to slow down the process so that we can understand a little bit more of the specifics of the timetable, replacement votes, reconciliation instructions, etc.” [The Hill, 1/9/17]

Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA): He “told reporters Tuesday he and several of his Tuesday Group colleagues have ‘reservations about dealing with the budget resolution this week’ because Republican leaders’ health care replacement plan ‘has not yet been well defined.’” [CQ, 1/10/2017]

Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ): “We're loading a gun here. I want to know where it's pointed before we start the process.” [Christian Science Monitor, 1/12/17]

Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN): “You would think after six years we would have a pretty good sense of what we would like to do.” [Politico, 1/9/17]

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): “I think we need to actually have a game plan." [CNN, 1/10/17]

THEN OPEN UP THE PROCESS: House Republicans continued to call for more committee hearings and an open process.  

Former Speaker John Boehner (R-OH): “The president ought to keep his promise to the American people and open this process up.’” [Washington Post, 10/18/09]

NOW – Republicans haven’t held a single hearing on their ACA replacement before voting to begin the process to repeal the law.

THENRECONCILIATION: In 2010, Republicans criticized using reconciliation:

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI): “We are not governing here today. We are greasing the skids to abuse the budget reconciliation procedure intended to control the government, not expand it. The key goal of the 1974 Budget Act which is governing this process was to rein in the president's power and give the Congress the means to control the budget.” [3/20/10]

NOW– Republican leaders are using budget reconciliation to take health care away from 30 million of Americans and increase health care costs for millions more, not using it for its intended purpose of reducing the debt:

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI): “Much of this you can do through budget reconciliation…This is our game plan for 2017.” [Politico, 10/6/16]

While Republicans continue their effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act and “Make America Sick Again,” Democrats will work to preserve the patient protections afforded to millions of American families through the Affordable Care Act.

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