Today, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) revealed the GOP plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act if they take back Congress and the White House. Not only are Republicans unified in their decision to fight widely popular legislation to lower prescription drug costs, expand coverage, and improve care, but they are going right back to their old playbook of threatening patients with pre-existing conditions and raising costs for working families. News reports and reactions from lawmakers and advocates make clear that electing Republicans means higher health care costs, worse care, and more money in the pockets of rich CEOs and big drug companies.
Coverage:
Axios: Johnson: GOP Should Be Ready To Repeal Obamacare If They Take Control In 2024. “The last time Republicans controlled the White House and Congress they were unable to successfully repeal and replace Obamacare. Republicans made numerous efforts to repeal Obamacare for almost a decade, before abandoning the push in 2018…Johnson told the Breitbart News Daily podcast on Monday that Republicans need to ‘get out act together’ for the 2024 election so they can ‘make good on what we’ve established as our priorities.’” [Axios, 3/7/22]
Washington Post: Sen. Ron Johnson Says Obamacare Should Be Repealed If GOP Wins Power Back. “Sen. Ron Johnson said he wants to see the GOP repeal the Affordable Care Act if his party wins the White House and the House and Senate majorities in 2024, a move that would resurrect a fight that Republicans had waged for nearly a decade, then largely abandoned in 2018…Since Biden took office, Obamacare has only grown more popular. The White House announced last year that about 31 million Americans now have health-care coverage through the ACA, a record high since the law was enacted in 2010.” [Washington Post, 3/7/22]
Statements:
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison: “Over the last few weeks, we’ve been reminded what a Republican majority would look like – raising taxes on over half of Americans, making health care coverage more expensive, and ripping protections away from millions of Americans with preexisting conditions. While Republicans double down on their harmful agenda and still don’t have any plan to lower costs for American families, President Biden and Democrats are working tirelessly to lower health care costs, cap prescription drug prices, and protect those with preexisting conditions from losing their coverage. The choice this November could not be more clear.” [Democratic National Committee, 3/7/22]
DSCC Spokesperson Amanda Sherman-Baity: “Voters are learning exactly what Republicans will do with a Senate majority, in their own words: raise taxes on seniors and working families, end Medicare and Social Security – and once again try to spike the cost of health care while ripping away coverage protections from Americans with pre-existing conditions. Republicans like Ron Johnson keep showing they only care about pushing the agenda of the ultra-rich and big corporations – while working families pay the price.” [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, 3/7/22]
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Senate Communications Advisor Philip Shulman: “Ron Johnson broke his two term pledge to double down on his self-serving agenda of raising health care costs and ripping away protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions.” [Democratic Party of Wisconsin, 3/7/22]
Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse: “Republicans like Senator Johnson aren’t just vowing to return to Trump-era health care attacks, but the GOP is totally unified in opposing any measure to lower health care costs, including reducing prescription drug prices. The bottom line is that, while President Biden and Democrats in Congress are fighting for better health care, Republicans are going right back to their same old war on American health care.” [Protect Our Care, 3/7/22]
Tweets:
[@SpeakerPelosi, 3/7/22]
[@SpanbergerVA07, 3/7/22]
[@BobbyScott, 3/7/22]
[@RepBeatty, 3/7/22]
[@lpackard, 3/7/22]