A pro-Obamacare nonprofit released a road map Monday for the next steps beyond the president’s health law, including getting every state to sign up for expanded Medicaid and pushing for universal dental coverage.
The move served as a signal that President Obama’s allies don’t just want to play defense against GOP efforts to undercut Obamacare, but want to see it expanded into new areas.
Armed with twin majorities in Congress, Republicans say Obamacare has resulted in rising costs and left a bloated health care system, crippled by onerous mandates.
The GOP is weighing its best options for chipping away at the law. That includes votes to test Mr. Obama’s veto pen, or the use of a complex budget process, known as reconciliation, to show they can take a swipe at Obamacare while avoiding a Democratic filibuster in the Senate.
Use of reconciliation is limited, however, and some Republicans say that tool should only be used for reforming the tax code.
All sides in the Obamacare fight are also eyeing a Supreme Court decision, due by June, that could prevent the administration from paying subsidies in about two-thirds of the states.
If the court ruled that way, the GOP says there could be a window to try to get some big changes done in Congress.
“We’re rapidly coming to a point where we as a conference are going to have to coalesce behind some of those ideas,” Rep. Michael Burgess, Texas Republican, told The Washington Times last week as both House and Senate Republicans held a policy retreat in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack acknowledged Monday that the law is “under attack.”
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Jeffrey R. Ungvary President