We are just days away from the October 1 deadline when the Affordable Care Act goes into effect, but President Barack Obama's signature law is nowhere near ready for primetime. While Mr. Obama travels the country demonizing his political opponents and repeating the same tired lies about the law, Republicans are hard at work on legislation to delay the law and replace it with responsible reforms.
Several weeks ago I wrote about the many ideas Republicans have for health care reform. Here are some of the latest efforts gathering momentum and support:
1. Delay Obamacare: Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R, TN-07) has introduced legislation in the House (H.R. 2809), and Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) has introduced companion legislation (S. 1490) in the Senate to delay all provisions of Obamacare set to go into effect in 2014. These include the individual mandate, employer mandate, and Obamacare "exchanges," to name a few.
For more information, recommend reading this joint op-ed from Congressman Blackburn and Senator Flake: Health Care Law Must Be Delayed
2. Replace Obamacare: While stopping the harmful provisions of Obamacare is essential, Republicans know there needs to be a better set of reforms ready to put in its place. That is why Congressmen Steve Scalise (R, LA-01) and Dr. Phil Roe (R, TN-01) unveiled the Republican Study Committee's alternative plan, the American Health Care Reform Act. To name just a few of the provisions, this bill allows Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines, enables small businesses to pool together to get the same buying power as large companies, reforms medical malpractice, provides tax reform to allow families and individuals to deduct health care costs like large businesses, and safeguards individuals with pre-existing conditions.
Read more about the American Health Care Reform Act here.
