Congressman Andy Biggs Joins President Donald Trump, Senator Rand Paul, and Senator Ben Sasse in calling for a separate Obamacare repeal
Gilbert, Arizona – Today, Congressman Andy Biggs echoed President Donald Trump, Senator Rand Paul, and Senator Ben Sasse in suggesting that Congress should repeal Obamacare before moving to revitalize the failed health care system:
"President Trump, Senator Paul, and Senator Sasse have made valid points this week about separating the repeal and revitalization of our health insurance industry from the devastation caused by Obamacare. I agree with them, and I have been making this point since March. The American Health Care Act (AHCA) and the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) are too complicated and do not fulfill the promises of repeal we made to our constituents.
"As I wrote in an op-ed this spring, there were multiple options to repeal and replace Obamacare when the 115th Congress commenced in January. All of them are still available.
"One option would be to repeal all of Obamacare's statutes and regulations, which is what I and many Republicans promised to constituents. In fact, I am a cosponsor of a one-page bill to do just that.
"A second option would be to pass the bill that was approved by every Republican in the House and the Senate in 2015, as Senator Sasse suggested. This option isn't perfect, but it would be a much more meaningful nod toward repeal than the AHCA. The 2015 bill has the advantage of having been through both houses of Congress and is a minimal baseline that seems achievable because many members still support it.
"When the House reconvenes after the Independence Day recess, I will be offering a third option: a bill that will fully repeal Obamacare with a delayed implementation date until October 1, 2018. This would give Congress an appropriate amount of time to craft a responsible alternative to the ACA while keeping our promises to the American people. I will also introduce two bills that will begin the process of reforming America's health insurance industry by allowing the sale of health insurance across state lines and giving individuals the same benefits that corporations receive. Additionally, I voted earlier this year to allow associations and organizations to make their own group plans. I look forward to working with my colleagues towards keeping the promises we made to our constituents."
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Congressman Andy Biggs is a first-term Representative from Arizona's Fifth Congressional District, representing parts of Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Sun Lakes, and Queen Creek. Congressman Biggs is a member of the House Judiciary and Science, Space, and Technology committees, and is the chairman of the Environment Subcommittee. He lives with his wife Cindy in Gilbert.