Hakeem Jeffries addresses Mike Johnson’s comments about “massive reform” to Obamacare if Donald Trump wins

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans won’t try repeal the Affordable Care Act — despite saying this week that GOP lawmakers have their eyes on health care overhaul.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says don’t believe it.

Republicans have repeatedly tried to repeal the landmark 2010 health care law known as Obamacare, which is now highly favored by most Americans, Jeffries pointed out in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY.

“House Republicans have been obsessed with repealing the Affordable Care Act of 2010 since it was first passed. It is clear as day to the American people, and this has now been stated by several members of the House Republican leadership,” Jeffries said. “They are determined to end the Affordable Care Act as we know it.”

The reference law in the field of health expanded Medicaid, forced insurers to cover patients with preexisting conditions, and required coverage for preventive care. It also allowed young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance until age 26 and implemented a number of consumer protections for people who purchase individual insurance.

Although it was controversial when it passed, it is popular today. Over 60% of Americans to have a favorable view of it.

But what did Johnson say? In a video first reported by NBCthe speaker told attendees at a campaign event in Pennsylvania late Monday that health care reform will be part of the Republican agenda in the first 100 days of the new Congress if Republicans win both chambers and the White House.

“No Obamacare?” a crowd member asked Johnson after the speaker said the GOP wanted to “carry a flame to the regulatory state.”

“No Obamacare,” he replied. “ACA is so deeply entrenched, we need massive reform to do that, and we have a lot of ideas about how to do that.”

Johnson’s comments made the health care law a campaign issue in the final days before the election. Which party will win the House remains anyone’s game, and both Johnson and Jeffries are traveling the country, testing vulnerable lawmakers.

Democrats pounced on Johnson’s comments as an indication that the party was once again intent on repealing the law, while Johnson said he had made “no such promise.”

Johnson said Democrats mischaracterized his remarks, and former President Donald Trump’s campaign said he had no plans to end the ACA. Trump promised during his 2016 campaign to eliminate the law.

In an interview with Fox News On Thursday, Johnson told reporters, “What we were talking about is that we’re in an ongoing effort to lower the cost of health care for people, to protect those with pre-existing conditions … to expand access to care and quality of care.” . Johnson said, accusing Democrats of “lying” about his position.

Jeffries told USA TODAY voters shouldn’t believe that explanation. He cited a CNN interview in which House Republican Caucus Chairman Rep. Richard Hudson said there are bipartisan things Congress can do to increase access and lower health care costs before adding, “They are agree with the speaker that we should look carefully. to our health policies”.

Democrats have also proposed changes to the current health care law, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan to expand benefits for home care for seniors. But Jeffries told USA TODAY that “We are committed as House Democrats to protecting the Affordable Care Act.”

The latest Republican effort to gut the Affordable Care Act was defeated in 2017, when Trump was president, by three Senate Republicans who joined with Senate Democrats to kill the bill.

This election cycle, Trump has remained vague about his plans for health care reform should he be re-elected to another term.

“I’m going to keep the Affordable Care Act unless we can do something much better,” Trump said said in August. “We’re going to keep it. It stinks. It’s not good. If we can do something better, we’ll do something with it if we can do better, meaning less expensive and better health care for you.”

Other Republicans continued to push to end the health care legislation. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, retweeted Johnson’s comments Thursday and wrote, “Kill Obamacare now.”

Asked during the presidential debate in September to clarify his plan, Trump said he had “concepts of a plan” to change the ACA.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeffries responds after Johnson said the GOP is looking at changes to Obamacare