By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Tuesday, July 11, 2017, US Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) said that Obamacare has failed and the House has acted to save the American people from Obamacare’s failure and we are now waiting on the Senate to act.
Congressman Byrne (R-Montrose) said in a statement on social media, “We are on a rescue mission to save the American people from the failures of Obamacare. Despite what some may want you to believe, the law is falling apart. The whole intention of the law was to make health care more affordable, and that has failed. Now, some Americans will not have a single health care option on the Obamacare exchanges. The House has acted to address the issue, and now the Senate needs to do their part.”
Byrne said on MSNBC that repealing Obamacare “is a rescue mission and we can not wait another year to act because if we give it another year and it is going to fall completely apart.” Byrne said that that there is only one insurer left on the exchange in Alabama (Blue Cross Blue Shield) and that even they are threatening to leave the individual market.
President Trump said that the Senate should stay in Washington until they get something passed on healthcare, whether it is Senator McConnell’s plan, the House healthcare bill, or a simple replacement. He tweeted: “I can not imagine that Congress would dare to leave Washington without a beautiful new healthcare bill fully approved and ready to go!”
Congresswoman Marth Roby (R-Montgomery) told the Dothan Rotary Club that she agrees with President Trump that the Senate should stay in Washington until it passes an Obamacare repeal bill. Rep. Roby said, “President Trump says the Senate should stay in Washington until they get something passed. I agree. I’ll be on the first plane back.”
US Senator Luther Strange (R-Alabama) supports not holding the regular August recess until the Senate passes a repeal of the controversial healthcare regulation. A source close to the Trump campaign told The Alabama Political Reporter (APR), that while Senator Strange would like to be back in Alabama campaigning for his August 15, primary that he is putting the best interests of the nation ahead of his own.
Trump’s Alabama campaign Co-Chair former State Representative Perry Hooper Jr. (R-Prattville) has endorsed Luther Strange for Senate. Hooper told APR, that the Senate is being held up by five Republican “obstructionists” and that Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville)” who is running against Strange for the seat vacated by Sen. Jeff Sessions, would be a sixth obstructionist if he were elected.
Brooks has said that he wants every word of Obamacare repealed and is concerned that the plan unveiled by Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell leaves too much of Obamacare in place.
Brooks told APR recently, “I am not confident that the Republicans will repeal and replace Obamacare as we promised the American people. There are too many liberal Republicans and that is why they are debating keeping elements of Obamacare. I fear that there will still be a massive welfare program that we don’t have the funds for.”
A recent report by the US Department of Health and Human Services has shown that Alabamians have faced the highest percent healthcare insurance premium increases in the country since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 was passed.
The Special Major Party Primaries for Senate are on August 15, 2017.
