The U.S. Senate is back in session today, and the House returns tomorrow. At the top of the to-do list will be taking another look at the Better Care Reconciliation Act (“BCRA”)—the Obamacare repeal bill that was paused just before the July 4th holiday.
Since then, President Donald Trump has been pushing the hold-out senators to support the repeal-and-replace bill, but Fox News recently reported that the president is in favor of a full repeal-only move if lawmakers can’t agree.
Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom’s (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) has long called for a full Obamacare repeal—first repeal, then replacement—if even necessary, as government really has no business in Americans’ health care.
CCHF president and co-founder Twila Brase wrote in a recent commentary that now that BCRA has been delayed, lawmakers should do a “real repeal”—not another version of Obamacare. CCHF representatives, including Brase, were recently in Washington, D.C., telling congressional members and staffers that Republicans will lose if they fail to vote on a full repeal bill.
“Even if the vote is unsuccessful, it would provide a protective backstop to anything else they tried to do,” Brase wrote. “At least they’d have kept their word.”
CCHF had several additional requests of Congress. If lawmakers can’t or won’t vote for full repeal:
- Disable Obamacare. Leave it an empty shell, on the ground, gasping for air. Do not give it life by maintaining its funding.
- Enable opt-out. Repeal the Obamacare prohibition of affordable indemnity coverage for catastrophic (insurable) conditions.
- End ‘pre-existing condition’ problem. Instead of establishing a new government program for the individual market, encourage pre-Obamacare state high-risk pools.
- Stop saying “pre-existing conditions.” Use “uninsurable conditions.” Change how Americans think about guaranteed issue of coverage or the drive to “cover everyone.”
- Make it real to working Americans. Do not use the term “redistribution of wealth.” Say “redistribution of wages.” Most people have wages they don’t want ‘redistributed’ to others.
*Read more in CCHF’s eNews Commentary.
“Tellingly, the word ‘repeal’ has faded away,” Brase added. “Voices simply discuss the ‘health care’ bill. Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber happily claims the Senate bill is not repeal. He calls it ‘Obamacare 0.5’ … Thus, the battle that resumes now that July 4th is over. Given the strong opposition conservative members, it’s possible that a full repeal amendment could be offered to actually force a vote on full and real repeal.”
CCHF is urging Americans concerned over the state of health care to call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for “real repeal.”