Obama vetoes ACA repeal bill, but Republicans claim a victory of sorts
President Obama has fended off Congressional Republicans’ latest stab at rolling back the Affordable Care Act, but this time GOP legislators says things are different: They succeeded for the first time in getting a repeal bill onto the President’s desk.
They did it by using the special “reconciliation” procedure, allowing an end-run around a Democratic filibuster on Capitol Hill.
Now House Speaker Paul Ryan and colleagues are pointing to the achievement as a battle win that may lead to total victory in the larger Obamacare war.
“[W]e will hold a vote to override this veto, taking this process all the way to the end under the Constitution,” Ryan said in prepared remarks.
Voicing its support for the stratagem, The Wall Street Journal editorialized that the move “shows what Republicans might achieve in 2017, if they can earn the opportunity from voters by also winning the White House.”
From across the country, the Los Angeles Times countered:
“The rising cost of healthcare remains a problem, and the Affordable Care Act’s efforts on that front haven’t yielded dramatic improvements. Nevertheless, covering more people with insurance is crucial to making the systemic changes needed to bring healthcare costs under control. And on that front, at least, the law is still working.”
Click here for a quick overview of the development from The Hill.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.