New Obamacare Repeal Bill Has Been Killed Before Most People Knew It Existed

Before most people even knew it existed, a new Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act has been killed in the Senate, and the party has nobody to blame but itself.

As The Hill reported on Monday, the legislation proposed by GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham – a measure the White House is “pushing for” – is dead on arrival because, once again, too many Republicans oppose it.

More from The Hill:

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Monday that he opposes a new Republican ObamaCare replacement effort, saying it does not go far enough to repeal the law.

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Paul told reporters that the bill from GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) would “probably” be worse than doing nothing at all on the health law.

 

The measure already faced extremely long odds to pass before a procedural deadline of Sept. 30. Republican leadership has shown no interest in the measure, though the White House is pushing for it.

 

Paul said he objects that the bill would leave many of ObamaCare’s taxes and regulations in place.

 

“I don’t think it’s going anywhere,” he said. “I haven’t heard anybody talking about it.”

 

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) responded simply “no” on Monday when asked if he thought the bill would get a vote on the Senate floor. He said he did not think there is enough support for it.

While there have been some continued grumbles among congressional Republicans about continuing to pursue an Obamacare repeal bill – and the White House has desperately clung to every last proposal in hopes of getting something, anything passed –  it’s abundantly clear that this effort is dead.

Not only has the Congressional Budget Office found that each successive GOP health plan would be a disaster for the country, but the American people have grown to appreciate the ACA as it continues to cover millions of people and provide benefits and protections they wouldn’t otherwise have.

Any more attempts to repeal it would be nothing short of political suicide for Republicans as we inch closer to the 2018 midterm elections.

When it comes to health care in America, it’s clear that there is no going back from former President Obama’s signature achievement.

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.