On the President’s Desk
Last week was one for the history books in Congress because it brought an occasion that was a long time coming. Upon the return of lawmakers for legislative business this year, the U.S. House of Representatives swiftly voted to repeal the president’s healthcare law. At first, that might not sound like anything new coming from House Republicans, given our more than 50 previous attempts to repeal the harmful law. But this time marked the first time the measure was also agreed to by the Senate and finally able to reach the president’s desk.
Ever since it was signed into law in 2010, the majority of the American people have strongly opposed the president’s federal government takeover of Americans’ healthcare plans. Republicans have long agreed that Obamacare not only damages the economy, but it also harms more Americans than it promised to help through higher premiums, lost satisfactory coverage and unfair mandates.
As we’ve seen throughout its implementation, rather than making good on the president’s promise of more affordable healthcare, the so-called Affordable Care Act puts a greater financial burden on individuals, families and job creators by imposing billions in new taxes and instituting unnecessary mandates and regulations. Further, despite the president’s promise that Americans could keep their existing coverage, millions of individuals have received termination notices.
Certainly, there were problems surrounding the nation’s healthcare system before the Affordable Care Act, but the law forced on the American people by Democrats and President Obama has not only failed to solve those problems, it has compounded them. Obamacare has added to the financial woes of the nation, and it has been marked with a slew of technical problems as well, including the disastrous launch of an unworkable enrollment website.
Republicans remain committed to offering a patient-centered alternative to help those Americans who want to have access to quality affordable coverage. In order to ensure a better future for generations to come, any alternative must protect consumers from high cost, low quality healthcare and improve rather than handicap the nation’s economic performance. Given the numerous conservative proposals already presented, I am confident that Republicans will be able to do just that. I look forward to the conversations and debate on that issue. But more importantly, I look forward to finding viable solutions to the nation’s healthcare system that benefit all Americans.
In addition to Obamacare repeal, the same legislation passed last week withholds funds from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and redirects taxpayer money to community health centers. This action came in response to the videos that exposed the despicable backroom practices at Planned Parenthood last year. Given the shocking atrocities uncovered in those videos, I believe this is an appropriate policy change and much better use of taxpayer dollars, and I am pleased that it too reached the president’s desk.