The Republican Party has long criticized the Affordable Care Act since its passage in 2010, and Democrats have long countered that the GOP had no real alternative to Obama’s signature healthcare law.
That changed today.
Speaker Paul Ryan introduced A Better Way to the country, along with several House colleagues.
Speaking to a small audience, Speaker Ryan laid out major tenets of the GOP healthcare alternative, such as being able to expand health savings accounts, reforming medical liability rules, and the ability to buy across state lines. Such reforms would take Obamacare and give it a strong shot of free-market fixes and individual empowerment to save the faltering program.
A Better Way does, unsurprisingly, keep a few popular parts of Obamacare: health coverage for young dependents up to age 26 and not allowing denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
After detailing the proposed conservative reforms, Speaker Ryan (and Rep. Steve Scalise) was followed by a panel discussion consisting of Budget Chairman Tom Price, Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, Rep. John Kline, and Rep. Fred Upton.
The White House was not so welcoming of the healthcare alternative. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest called the plan “completely political” and said it would never be brought up for a floor vote because it contained legislation that is too unpopular with Americans.
We shouldn’t expect A Better Way to come up for a House vote anytime soon. Despite being in the works for six years, Speaker Ryan has said that a replacement for Obamacare can never come to fruition with a man in the White House named Obama.