John Boehner tried to hold a press conference to bash Obamacare, but the whole thing backfired when he was asked whether he would allow a vote on a Republican ACA alternative.Video of Boehner’s same old Obamacare lies:
The interesting part of the press conference came when Speaker Boehner was asked, “What is a patient driven healthcare system that the GOP talks about? Will there be a viable GOP alternative to Obamacare in 2014 put to the floor for a vote?” Boehner answered, “Well, when you look at Obamacare, which is a government centered healthcare delivery system, that’s not what the American people want. The American people want to be able to pick their own kind of health insurance. They want to be able to pick their own doctor. They want to be able to pick their own hospital. That’s what a patient centered healthcare system looks like.”
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Then came the follow up question that doomed Boehner, “Will that be up for a vote in 2014, a bill for that? Mr. Speaker, will that be up for a vote in 2014?” Boehner answered, “We’ll see.”
Speaker Boehner’s two word answer meant no, and with that, his whole anti-ACA press conference went down the drain.
The media asked Boehner the relevant question, and he imploded. Everyone knows that the Republican plan is to not to propose an ACA alternative, because they don’t want to have a debate about healthcare. Republicans simply want to attack the ACA. If the debate shifts to one of policy alternatives, Republicans can’t get by with just attacking the ACA.
The House Republican leadership press conference was supposed to be a reply to the news that the website has improved. Instead of addressing the website improvements, Majority Leader Eric Cantor claimed that the website still wasn’t working, and if it is working, your personal information is not secure.
House Republicans spent six plus minutes repeating their Obamacare lies, and then their press conference turned into a total disaster when Boehner admitted that there is no plan to vote on a Republican alternative to Obamacare.
Democrats are winning the debate on the ACA. All Republicans can do is repeat the same tired talking points that they have been using against Obamacare for years. When media finally asked the right question, and Speaker Boehner fell apart.
As the success of the ACA continues to grow, Republicans aren’t going to be able get by just saying no. The website is working. People are signing up, and Republicans have nowhere to go but down.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
