Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) said on Monday that he is “not prepared” to support House Republicans’ bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“I’m not prepared to vote for it [as] is right now,” Issa said on “Fox and Friends.”
He said he didn’t find any “specific” element of the bill “unacceptable,” but said that legislators can do better.
“I think we can do better in a number of areas of concern,” Issa said.
He cited “shrinking pools” that he said Obamacare created.
“So I think it’s important that we do a little bit more, look at it,” Issa said. “I’m looking for the budget number.”
Protesters confronted Issa at a pair of back-to-back town halls he held over the weekend, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times. More than 100 people gathered outside the auditorium where Issa held one event, and many were concerned about Republicans’ proposal to replace Obamacare.
Issa broke with President Donald Trump’s administration by expressing interest in the budget number associated with the repeal bill.
Over the weekend, White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn and Trump’s budget chief Mick Mulvaney joined congressional Republicans in preemptively criticizing the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of what the repeal bill would cost and how many people would lose coverage if it passes.
The CBO is expected to issue its report on the House GOP’s health care bill as early as Monday.
