Former President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in repealing Obamacare, announced over the weekend, is facing a tepid response from Senate Republicans. The GOP, still scarred from the failed 2017 attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, is not enthusiastic about revisiting the issue. While Republicans express a desire to bring down healthcare costs, there is no apparent rallying cry to scrap the 13-year-old law. Trump’s post on Truth Social criticizing the GOP’s past failure did not generate a unified response among Republicans, with many indicating a focus on other healthcare priorities, such as rural health care, increasing doctors, and addressing insurance costs, drug prices, and transparency.
Senate Republicans’ Responses:
- Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.): “I don’t see that as being the rallying cry. I really don’t.”
- Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.): “That fight, as you know, was six years ago now. And so, if he’s got some ideas, we’re open to them.”
- Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa): “I don’t hear any Republicans talking about it. I’m going to spend my time on rural health care and getting more doctors and stuff like that.”
- Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): “We’ve gotten so far down the road now that it’s almost technically impossible to do that. But there is a way to get rid of all the bad and hopefully put some good back in place.”
Future GOP Healthcare Priorities:
While Republicans acknowledge the need to address health insurance costs, drug prices, and transparency, the prospect of completely repealing Obamacare seems unlikely. If the GOP regains control of the White House and Senate in 2025, there may be a push for action on various healthcare issues, but a renewed attempt to scrap the Affordable Care Act is not at the forefront of discussions.
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