Find out more about the U.S. election results here.
What Happened Friday Morning in the Oval Office
Wall Street Journal: “The American Health Care Act would be the most consequential GOP social-policy reform since the welfare overhaul of 1996… it starts to correct many of the government created dysfunctions that have bedeviled U.S. health care for decades.”
Before sharing our progress on The American Health Care Act, let’s reflect on Obamacare:
A majority of Americans have acknowledged Obamacare crushed small businesses and negatively impacted millions of people. In describing Obamacare last year, former President Bill Clinton stated, “It’s the craziest thing…Americans are getting killed by rising premiums and expenses… It doesn’t make any sense.”
Minnesota Governor, Democrat Mark Dayton expressed it this way, “The ACA (Affordable Care Act) is no longer affordable to an increasing number of people.”
As with any new government bailout or entitlement, some people benefitted from the ACA; but, it is undeniable that a higher percentage of people were negatively impacted with more being forced out of the individual market altogether. More government control is not the answer.
Before Obamacare, a number states had as many as two-dozen options per county. Now, over 1,000 counties in the country have been reduced to only one healthcare provider on the exchanges. By the end of 2017, many of these communities will lose their last provider and will not be able to purchase healthcare in the individual market.
Remember the promise that premiums would drop $2,500 for families throughout the country? It never happened. Whether it was an intentional fabrication or a simple lack of understanding, the fact is that premiums skyrocketed more than $3,500 per family. That’s an increase of $6,000 more than President Obama promised when convincing the Democratic Congress to jam through the massive Obamacare legislation.
In forcing Obamacare on the American people, the previous administration overplayed a hand that did more damage than good, while being the most fiscally irresponsible in history. The national debt grew from $10 trillion to almost $20 trillion over the last eight years.
A couple weeks ago the American Health Care Act was introduced in the House to repeal and replace Obamacare.
The American Health Care Act Facts:
1. Repeals Obamacare taxes and provides tax relief for families that cost nearly $1 trillion each decade.
2. Repeals many of Obamacare’s mandates that have increased premiums and cost. It also eats at much of Obamacare’s bloated spending.
3. It protects life. The AHCA defunds Planned Parenthood and ensures that taxpayer dollars don’t go fund abortions. Instead, it redirects the money to community health centers that offer more comprehensive services.
Other areas of improvement include strengthening Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), reforming Medicaid to make it more financially solvent and creating more competition among insurance companies.
Though on the right track and purpose, the original draft of this legislation was unacceptable. “There are serious problems with what appears to be our current path to repeal and replace Obamacare,” I said. “In that form and absent substantial changes, I cannot vote for the bill and, in good conscience, cannot recommend Republican Study Committee members vote for it either.”
So we went to work to make the bill the best we could for the people of North Carolina and the country — and we were listened to.
After six weeks of negotiations, today we met with President Trump in the Oval Office where we shared our concerns about the current repeal and replace bill. There we agreed to these conservative changes to the American Health Care Act:
1. Work Requirements for Welfare: There are currently 70 million Americans on Medicaid. Should we not have work or education requirements on the nine million of these individuals who are capable-bodied adults? By allowing healthy individuals to be on the Medicaid roll, we negatively impact Medicaid recipients who are disabled and/or aged. This helps us invest in the unique talents and opportunity of every person.
2. Increased Protections on the Unborn: The National Right to Life has also announced it is supporting the bill because of the recently added pro-life protections.
3. Medicaid Block Grant Options: This allows states the flexibility to better serve people in need.
All of these changes will save taxpayers money and shrink the federal government’s role in healthcare. There are some minor improvements as well, but the bill is not perfect and we are still working to make it better. There are also additional items that could not be implemented because it would not be able to pass “reconciliation.” (Reconciliation is a legislative procedure that requires only 51 votes in the Senate instead of the normal 60 Senate votes to end debate on a bill.) This is the primary reason that tort reform, purchasing insurance across state lines, etc. can not be included in this bill. These would violate the Senate’s reconciliation rules and we know that further repeal of Obamacare will require new legislation.
With the addition of these policies, I can support the AHCA. We still need to see these changes in writing from the Speaker’s office before moving forward with our support, but we are now confident that this law will serve deliver on our promises and better our health care system for families.
The bottom line is this — President Trump promised that we would repeal and replace. I sat with him in the Oval Office sharing that if he would help us with our new amendments, I would support the American Health Care Act along with our RSC Steering Committee.
We made the AHCA more conservative. As chairman of the Republican Study Committee, it was time to call for the end of Obamacare. Today, I kept my promise.
