House Dems to mull bills to overturn Trump ObamaCare actions

Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday announced that they will hold a hearing next week to consider legislation to overturn conservative actions President Trump has taken on the Affordable Care Act.

The panel will consider bills to overturn Trump’s expansion of cheaper, skimpier insurance plans that Democrats deride as “junk plans,” and to restore funding for outreach efforts to enroll people in ObamaCare plans, funding that was slashed by the Trump administration.

{mosads}A third bill would overturn guidance from the Trump administration that makes it easier for states to make conservative changes to ObamaCare.  

The hearing is part of an effort by the new Democratic House majority to highlight what they call Trump’s “sabotage” of the ACA, and take actions to reverse it.

The bills likely have no chance of passing through the GOP-controlled Senate,  but they provide Democrats a chance to show their priorities and highlight Trump’s actions.

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Energy and Commerce health subcommittee, announced the upcoming hearing during a separate hearing on Wednesday on a lawsuit brought by GOP-led states seeking to overturn ObamaCare.

Republicans used Wednesday’s hearing to argue that they support protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and would act to restore them if ObamaCare were overturned.

“We fully support protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions,” said Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), the top Republican on the subcommittee.

Democrats have said countless GOP attempts to repeal the ACA, which includes those protections, undermines that claim.

Republicans on Wednesday also reiterated a call they made on Tuesday for a hearing on Medicare for All, saying Democrats should allow the liberal idea to be examined to show its weaknesses.

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), the chairman of the full committee, fiercely pushed back on that call.

“Oh sure, we’ll have a hearing on something that you think is going to destroy the country,” Pallone said.

“Now don’t get me wrong, we will address that issue, I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t, but the cynicism of it all,” he added.