Grassley: Repealing O’Care Is More Important Than Whatever Replaces It

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, listens to an aide as Republicans and Democrats remain at an impasse over filling the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin S... Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, listens to an aide as Republicans and Democrats remain at an impasse over filling the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, Thursday, March 10, 2016, during a business meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said Wednesday he could give “10 reasons why this bill shouldn’t be considered,” referring to the Senate’s final attempt to repeal Obamacare this year—but he’s still dead-set on supporting it.

Grassley said keeping Republicans’ campaign promise to get rid of former President Obama’s signature accomplishment was as important as the contents of the most recent health care bill, penned by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).

“You know, I could maybe give you 10 reasons why this bill shouldn’t be considered,” Grassley told Iowa reporters on a call, according to the Des Moines Register. “But Republicans campaigns on this so often that you have a responsibility to carry out what you said in the campaign.”

“That’s pretty much as much of a reason as the substance of the bill,” he added.

The Graham-Cassidy legislation would repeal much of Obamacare and shift Medicaid funding to the states in the form of block grants. States would also be allowed to apply for waivers from certain Obamacare regulations that, in effect, would allow insurance companies to impose lifetime caps or engage in price discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: