In an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) signaled that he may not push for more votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act in its entirety.
In an email to TPM, his spokesman Kevin Smith clarified Boehner’s intentions.
“While ObamaCare is the law of the land, it is costing us jobs and threatening our health care,” Smith said. “Speaker Boehner and House Republicans remain committed to repealing the law, and he said in the interview it would be on the table.”
Smith emailed TPM the full transcript of Boehner’s exchange:
DIANE SAWYER: A couple of other questions about the agenda now. You have said next year that you would repeal the healthcare vote. That’s still your mission?
JOHN BOEHNER: Well, I think the election changes that. It’s pretty clear that the president was reelected, Obamacare– is the law of the land. I think there are parts– of– the healthcare law that– are gonna be very difficult to implement. And very expensive. And as– the time when we’re tryin’ to find a way to create a path– toward a balanced budget– everything has to be on the table.
DIANE SAWYER: But you won’t be spending the time next year trying to repeal Obamacare?
JOHN BOEHNER: There certainly may be parts of it that we believe– need to be changed. We may do that. No decisions at this point.
