Republicans growing impatient with pace of ObamaCare repeal

Republican lawmakers on Wednesday said they are not happy with the pace Congress is taking on repealing ObamaCare. 

In a meeting with reporters, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said he would like the healthcare law to be repealed within the next two or three months. 

“I don’t think that we should allow it to go beyond that window, the repeal, because I think the American people are suffering.” 

{mosads}Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has said he wants ObamaCare to be repealed and replaced by the end of March. The Senate has not yet set a timeline. 

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has drafted a replacement that differs from that of Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.). 

Committees are also working on repeal and replacement legislation, but they have not yet held hearings on the matter. 

Republicans have already missed their first deadline to write legislation.

Lee said he and other Republican lawmakers would “rather it go faster than it has been.” 

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said lawmakers need to act expeditiously. 

“It is incredibly important for us to move quickly in order to be able to alleviate some of the fears,” he said. 

The Freedom Caucus has called for a vote on the 2015 bill that would repeal the law.

The bill that passed early last year and was vetoed by President Obama repeals many core elements of ObamaCare, including its subsidies, mandates, taxes and Medicaid expansion.

Meadows said he would like to see a replacement the same day, but not through a separate process the Republicans are using to repeal ObamaCare.