Conservative Groups Outline Principles for Any Path Forward on Health Care

A coalition of conservative leaders on Wednesday released essential principles that must guide any potential path forward for Congress to repeal Obamacare. The group agreed on a set of principles that Congress must adopt in any health care legislation considered later this year or in the future.

“We’ve seen encouraging signs in recent weeks that Congress hasn’t given up on the health care fight—and they shouldn’t,” said FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon. “Republicans ran in the past four election cycles on their promise to repeal Obamacare—and we’ve outlined how they can make that pledge a reality.”

The conservative leaders reached consensus on critical elements for any Obamacare repeal, including repeal of Obamacare’s new federal health insurance requirements, all of Obamacare’s taxes, and the exemption provided to Members of Congress from Obamacare. They also outlined alternative policies conservatives should enact, including an expansion of Health Savings Accounts, reforms to the Medicaid program, and cross-state purchasing of health insurance.

“The tax increases in Obamacare kill jobs and sap economic growth,” said former Congressman David McIntosh (R-IN), president of the Club for Growth. “Overwhelming numbers of conservative voters want Congress to repeal all of the Obamacare taxes, and not replace them with other taxes—and we agree.”

“Obamacare undermines the principles of federalism, destroying states’ authority over their insurance markets,” said former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, president of of the Senate Conservatives Fund. “While some health care plans would give states back a tiny sliver of freedom by letting them waive a few regulations, we believe that Congress should restore states’ sovereignty over their insurance markets by repealing all of the new insurance requirements. Also, the administration has to respond to the 20-state lawsuit on Obamacare by June 7th. I am hopeful that President Trump will concede that Obamacare, as amended by the December Tax Reform Bill, is now unconstitutional – thereby jumpstarting Congress to get to work on this issue.”

“These principles represent a return to health care freedom,” said former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), chairman of the Conservative Partnership Institute. “I’ve always believed that Americans should have the ability to obtain quality, affordable health insurance coverage that they can buy, hold, and keep. With good conservative reforms like cross-state purchasing and Health Savings Accounts, this plan would bring those ideas closer to fruition."

Health Insurance Reform Principles

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