The weekend Republican address delivered by Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) says that “there will be a stable transition period” as the new GOP-dominated government repeals ObamaCare.
The remarks come as some Republicans are publicly questioning the wisdom of repealing the healthcare law without introducing an immediate replacement.
“As we work to replace Obamacare with something better, there will be a stable transition period so that no one has the rug pulled out from underneath them. Our goal is a system that lowers costs, and spurs free market competition, and ultimately empowers you—not bureaucrats in Washington,” Black said in the GOP’s weekly address Saturday.
Republicans are moving to repeal ObamaCare quickly, but it is not clear what they will put in its place, or whether they can get a replacement plan through Congress. Transition periods of at least two years have been discussed that would allow those on ObamaCare to keep their coverage.
{mosads}Democrats, including new Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have criticized Republicans for wanting to repeal Obamacare, arguing they do not have a plan for a replacement.
Black described those attacks as fear-mongering.
“Now, the new Congress you elected has only been in office for a week and, already, you’re hearing Democrats in Washington use all kinds of scare tactics,” she said. “After so many broken promises, it’s all they have left, really.
“Don’t let them scare you or lecture you,” added Black, the interim House Budget Committee chairwoman, who will have a key role in any ObamaCare repeal plans. “It’s exactly the kind of elitist arrogance the American people have just soundly rejected.”
In the address, Black added that a new system would protect those with pre-existing conditions and permit the purchase of insurance across state lines.
“As a nurse, I’ve spent decades watching the impact of healthcare decisions in Washington on my patients’ faces and in their billing statements. This isn’t about slogans and scare tactics – it’s about people’s lives and their bottom lines,” she said.
Republicans hope to pass a budget that paves the way for a repeal through a process known as budget reconciliation, which will require just a simple majority to pass the Senate.
President Obama on Friday dared Republicans to explain their alternative before scrapping his namesake healthcare law.
“If they’re so convinced they can do it better, they shouldn’t be afraid to make that presentation,” he told Vox. “Let the American people gauge: Is this going to result in something better than what ObamaCare has produced?”