Some Republicans in Congress are starting to talk more about trying to repair Obamacare, rather than simply calling for repeal and replace.
Theres good reason for that.
The repair language was discussed by Republicans during their closed-door policy retreat in Philadelphia last week as a better way to brand their strategy. Some of that discussion flowed from views that Republicans may not be headed toward a total replacement, said one conservative House lawmaker who didnt want to be identified.
Using the word repair captures exactly what the large majority of the American people want, said Frank Luntz, a prominent Republican consultant and pollster who addressed GOP lawmakers at their retreat.
The public is particularly hostile about skyrocketing costs, and they demand immediate change, Luntz said in an e-mail response to questions. Repair is a less partisan but no less action-oriented phrase that Americans overwhelmingly embrace.
Republicans are grappling with their partys desire -- and President Donald Trumps promise -- to dismantle Obamacare, as well as the political disaster that could ensue if millions of Americans lose coverage as a result of legislation.
A Jan. 6 Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 75 percent of Americans either are opposed to Congress repealing Obamacare or want lawmakers to wait until they have a replacement ready before repealing it. While Trump has promised a plan of his own, Republicans have yet to coalesce around any of the plans that have been floated in recent years to end Obamacare while maintaining a stable insurance market.
Our goal is to repair the damage caused by Obamacare where we find damage, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, said at the start of a hearing he held Wednesday on the individual insurance market.
Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, echoed Alexander during the hearing: Regardless of who was elected president, we were going to have to do major repairs on the Affordable Care Act.
While Trump ran on the promise he would repeal Obamacare, he appears to have softened his view a bit after the election. Lately, he has pivoted to pledging insurance for everyone.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, has also tried out repair.
Weve been working with the administration on a daily basis to map out and plan a very bold and aggressive agenda to make good on our campaign promises and to fix these problems -- to repeal and replace and repair our broken health care system, Ryan said at a news conference during the Philadelphia retreat.
Some members saw this shift coming, including House Rules Chairman Pete Sessions of Texas, who has proposed his own Obamacare fix.
Ive been saying this for a long time, Sessions said. While some of his Republican colleagues continue to say that Obamacare needs to be torn out from its roots, Sessions protests, Not from me, youve never heard that.
