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“GOP Senators Hope the Courts Strike Down the Health Law,” But They Have No Real Plan to Deal With the Fallout

Senate Republicans “largely welcome” their party’s lawsuit to dismantle the Affordable Care Act – and “there’s no reason to think that Senate Republicans could unify on a replacement to the law after previously failing to do so”

As the dangerous Republican lawsuit to spike health care costs and end protections for people with pre-existing conditions escalates, “GOP senators hope the courts strike down the health law” – even though they have “no real plan” to deal with the fallout that would dismantle health coverage for millions of Americans and “has the potential to be politically damaging… to their Senate majority.”

The DSCC has been aggressively holding Republicans accountable for enabling this lawsuit that would end critical health care protections for pre-existing conditions coverage, maternity care, and allowing kids to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26. The DSCC ran digital ads in key Senate battlegrounds last week to highlight Republicans’ toxic records, and Democrats and health care advocates across the country called out Republican Senators for refusing to take action to protect their constituents’ health care.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

POLITICO: Republicans ready to dive off a cliff on Obamacare

GOP senators hope the courts strike down the health law — even if they have no plan to deal with the ensuing chaos.

Burgess Everett

July 14, 2019

Key Points:

  • Republicans have no real plan to establish a new health care system if the courts strike down the Affordable Care Act before the 2020 election. But plenty of them are rooting for its demise anyway — even if it means plunging the GOP into a debate that splits the party and leaves them politically vulnerable.
  • After a decade of trying to gut Obamacare, Republicans may finally get their wish thanks to a Trump administration-backed lawsuit. Its success would cause chaos not only in the insurance markets but on Capitol Hill. And Republican senators largely welcome it — even if they don’t know what comes next.
  • “I’m ready for it to succeed,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). “I would love to get back in and actually deal with health care again.”
  • “Do I hope the lawsuit succeeds? I do,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.).
  • And there’s no reason to think that Senate Republicans could unify on a replacement to the law after previously failing to do so.
  • Democrats are ready to hammer Republicans if the law gets taken down because of the GOP lawsuit. Democrats took back the House last year in large part because of their focus on health care.
  • The lawsuit backed by GOP attorneys general, the Trump administration and many GOP lawmakers argues that the Affordable Care Act should collapse now that Congress has zeroed out its individual mandate in a Republican tax law.
  • Yet Republicans also admit the lawsuit has the potential to be politically damaging, not just to Trump but to their Senate majority.
  • Republicans are fighting a pitched battle to defend their 53-47 majority, and polls show Democrats have the high ground on health care amid GOP efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

Read more about why Americans don’t trust Republicans on health care:

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