Mike Lee: ‘Not comfortable’ with ObamaCare replacement

Conservative Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) expressed concern Tuesday with House legislation unveiled this week to repeal and replace parts of ObamaCare.

The long-anticipated legislation gets rid of the mandate on individuals to buy healthcare coverage and on employers to provide it, but also creates an expensive new system of tax credits to help low-income people buy insurance.

Some conservatives, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), have derided the House plan as “ObamaCare Lite.”

{mosads}“I do have some concerns and I’m not comfortable with it,” Lee said of the overall GOP plan. He said he’ll release a statement later Tuesday detailing his objections.

The GOP plan would continue to provide generous federal subsidies to states that have significantly expanded Medicaid enrollment under ObamaCare and allow young people to remain on their parents’ health plans until age 26.

Lee, along with conservative Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Paul, have warned their colleagues that they will not support legislation that does not go as far as the Affordable Care Act repeal measure that passed in 2015 and was vetoed by then-President Obama. 

It’s unclear whether the proposal in its current form could pass the Senate, where Republicans can only afford two defections to pass legislation without help from Democrats.

Four GOP senators came out in opposition to the plan before the House bills were even unveiled, vowing to vote against any legislation that included dismantling the Medicaid expansion.