Marking Obamacare’s fifth anniversary Monday, the White House brushed off 2016 GOP campaign vows to scrap the law entirely, saying Republicans don’t have a track record that supports their ambitions.
“There was a presidential candidate who ran in 2012 promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act and that campaign pledge didn’t work out very well for him,” Press Secretary Josh Earnest said of the last GOP nominee for president, Mitt Romney.
Mr. Earnest’s comments came hours after Sen. Ted Cruz, who once delivered a 21-hour filibuster to harangue Obamacare, announced his 2016 bid for the White House.
“Imagine in 2017, a new president signing legislation repealing every word of Obamacare,” the Texas Republican said Monday during a speech at Liberty University in Virginia.
The health care law continues to be a political flashpoint on Capitol Hill, as the new Republican-majority Congress looks to use a complex budget procedure known as “reconciliation” to put a repeal bill on President Obama’s desk, forcing him to veto Congress’ will.
Mr. Earnest declined to spar with Mr. Cruz over Obamacare or his other proposals, such as abolishing the IRS.
“At some point, you know, we’ll reach a phase where I’ll be a little bit more willing to engage, but at this point, I’m going to let them have their day,” he told reporters.
Instead, the administration marked the 2010 overhaul’s milestone by pointing to millions of Americans who’ve gained health insurance or access to free primary care services.
It also released a report saying Obamacare’s coverage provisions saved hospitals $7 billion on uncompensated care they would have doled out to uninsured patients.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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