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With Repeal in Tatters, NETX Congressman Wants to Continue Efforts

speaker.gov
speaker.gov
The AHCA

On Monday, Republican senators' plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act collapsed. On Tuesday, at the behest of a blindsided President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for repealing the ACA without anything to replace it.

By Tuesday afternoon, that movement was effectively dead in the water too, with only some Republican and no Democrat senators in favor of blanket repeal. Nevertheless, support for the idea of repealing the ACA with nothing to replace it has its allies. In Northeast Texas, one such ally is U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, who took to his Facebook page Tuesday to champion the fight to repeal Obamacare.

"The Senate has announced that it is shifting its strategy to vote on a clean repeal," Ratcliffe wrote. "While I've made a conscious effort to not be a backstreet [sic] driver in the Senate's deliberations, I sincerely hope this new approach is effective."

The posting came before it was evident that repeal-only was unlikely to find adequate support in GOP ranks. 

About a year-and-a-half ago, Ratcliffe voted for nearly identical repeal legislation as the one proposed today. That bill made it to the desk of President Obama, who vetoed the effort. 

Reactions to Ratcliffe's announcement ran the spectrum, from vehement support to vehement opposition. Several respondents stated they want to see the ACA repealed and then see the federal government "butt out" of the insurance business. One called the ACA "a huge blessing" that has made the difference between coverage and nothing at all.

Scott Morgan has been an award-winning journalist since 2001. His work has appeared in several newspapers and magazines as well as online. He has also been an editor, freelancer, speaker, writing teacher, author, and podcaster.