Speaker Johnson Says Obamacare In For ‘Massive Reform’ If Trump Wins But Denies Repeal Accusation
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson's comments about the future of Obamacare under a possible Trump administration is becoming campaign trail fodder. Kamala Harris' campaign seized on them, saying that Republicans will repeal the Affordable Care Act. Johnson called that a "dishonest" characterization, and Donald Trump's campaign is distancing itself from the speaker's plan.
USA Today:
'No Obamacare:' Mike Johnson Says Republicans Will Overhaul Health Care If Trump Wins
House Speaker Mike Johnson told a crowd of supporters Monday night that there will be "no Obamacare" if former President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans win the upcoming election on Nov. 5. Republicans will propose “massive reform” to the Affordable Care Act if they win control of both chambers in Congress and the presidency, Johnson, R-La., said at a campaign event for Republican House candidate Ryan Mackenzie in Pennsylvania on Monday evening. “Health-care reform’s going to be a big part of the agenda,” Johnson said about Republicans' plans. He added that the GOP wants to take a “blowtorch to the regulatory state,” with healthcare among the key sectors they plan to focus on. (Waddick, 10/30)
The Hill:
Mike Johnson Denies Accusation He Plans To Repeal ObamaCare
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is disputing Democrats’ assertion that he wants to repeal ObamaCare after Vice President Harris’s campaign seized on comments he made at a campaign stop this week. “Despite the dishonest characterizations from the Harris campaign, the audio and transcript make clear that I offered no such promise to end ObamaCare, and in fact acknowledged that the policy is ‘deeply ingrained’ in our health care system,” Johnson said in a statement to The Hill. (Brooks and Weixel, 10/30)
ABC News:
Trump Campaign Distances Itself From House Speaker's Plan For 'Massive Reform' To The ACA
Former President Donald Trump's campaign quickly tried to separate itself from the speaker's comments. A spokeswoman told the New York Times that they were “not President Trump’s policy position.” (Peller, 10/30)
The New York Times:
Johnson’s ‘No Obamacare’ Remark Draws Attention to Unpopular Stance
Mr. Trump and an all-Republican Congress already tried unsuccessfully to repeal the law, and the fierce backlash to those efforts helped Democrats win control of the House in 2018. In 2020, the Justice Department under Mr. Trump asked the Supreme Court to overturn the law. After threatening a renewed repeal push late last year, Mr. Trump has kept his position vague, a sign of what a political liability the issue has become for his campaign. (Karni, 10/30)
Roll Call:
Kennedy Hints At Vast Health Agency Overhaul If Trump Elected
Over the past two months, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made appearances throughout the country to share his story on the state of Americans’ health, one that he says is characterized by corrupt regulatory agencies, children sickened by “ultra processed” foods and Americans burdened by chronic disease. His game plan to address these challenges appears to start with HHS and its agencies. ... Kennedy also asserted that former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law incentivized insurers to increase premiums by capping the amount of money they could take from premiums at 15 percent. (DeGroot, 10/30)
In other election news —
The 19th:
What We Know About Where Trump And Harris Stand On Paid Leave
In this election, presidential campaigns are offering proposals on home care and the child tax credit, speaking to parents and caregivers more directly than ever before. But there is one policy proposal that has been conspicuously absent: What would Kamala Harris or Donald Trump do about paid medical and family leave? (Carrazana, 10/30)
The New York Times:
Does Kamala Harris Back Free Health Care For Illegal Immigrants?
One of former president Donald J. Trump’s final television ads before Election Day reprises an old talking point. The segment, released Oct. 17, declares that Vice President Kamala Harris “wants struggling seniors to pay more Social Security taxes while she gives Medicare and Social Security to illegals.” The first half of the statement is inaccurate. Ms. Harris has not suggested raising Social Security taxes for seniors; instead, she has said she supports eliminating the $168,000 income cap on the taxes workers pay to fund Social Security, a threshold above which income becomes exempt. ... The latter half of the ad’s claim — that Ms. Harris supports giving taxpayer-funded health benefits to illegal immigrants — is a misrepresentation of Ms. Harris’s current proposals. (Baumgaertner and Sanger-Katz, 10/30)
