McConnell: GOP weighing new bid to repeal health law

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wednesday that Republicans are looking to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act after the November midterm elections.

In an interview with Reuters, McConnell said his party's failure last year to repeal the health care law was "the one disappointment of this Congress from a Republican point of view."

"If we had the votes to completely start over, we'd do it. But that depends on what happens in a couple weeks. ... We're not satisfied with the way [the Affordable Care Act] is working," McConnell said.

Republicans are optimistic about their chances of maintaining control of the Senate next month, while a Democratic takeover of the House appears increasingly likely.

Many GOP candidates have begun campaigning about protecting people with pre-existing medical conditions -- despite the fact that congressional Republicans have voted multiple times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which provides those protections.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act remains popular with the Republican base, however, and McConnell's remarks could be aimed at turning out core voters ahead of next month's election.

Democrats pounce

Democrats immediately seized on McConnell's comments. The Democratic National Committee, the Senate Democratic campaign arm and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., immediately sent out statements casting McConnell's comments as indicative of Republicans' plans to do away with protections for pre-existing conditions should they retain the Senate.

"Americans should make no mistake about it: If Republicans retain the Senate they will do everything they can to take away families' health care and raise their costs, whether it be eliminating protections for pre-existing conditions, repealing the health care law, or cutting Medicare and Medicaid," Schumer said Wednesday in a statement. "Americans should take Sen. McConnell at his word."

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said in a tweet that McConnell's statement underscores that Republicans "really are coming after your healthcare."

"I mean like they are no kidding coming after all of it -- pre-existing conditions, essential health benefits --mental health, privatizing the VA -- Medicare, Medicaid," Schatz said.

"They believe that more healthcare equals less liberty or something. In any case we have to vote them out."

A Section on 10/18/2018