Eager to stop Republicans from destroying his signature health care
law, U.S. President Barack Obama and Democratic lawmakers will meet next
week to try to forge a common strategy, according to reports.
The outgoing two-term president also plans a major valedictory speech
in Chicago, his hometown, shortly before his presidency ends.
Obama will travel to the Capitol on Wednesday morning for the meeting
with House and Senate Democrats, according to an invitation sent to
lawmakers.
The White House is casting it as an effort to unite Democrats behind a
plan to protect the law, known as the Affordable Care Act, before
Republicans have a chance to settle on their own plan for repealing it.
Democrats are on edge over the future of the Act, given the
Republicans disdain for “Obamacare” and President-elect Donald Trump’s
vows to gut it.
Though Republicans are united behind the notion of repealing the law, however, they are split over how best to replace it.
Some want to strip out unpopular provisions while leaving others
intact, while other Republicans prefer a start-from-scratch approach.
It is that lack of unanimity among Republicans that Obama and
Democrats hope can be exploited, if they can lay the groundwork even
before Trump takes office.
To this end, Obama also planned to answer questions about the future
of the health care law on Friday during a livestreamed event at Blair
House, just across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.
Initially stunned by the defeat of Hillary Clinton, Democrats are now
trying to organise a counter-attack to preserve the Act, among the most
significant expansions of the social safety net since Medicare and
Medicaid were created 50 years ago.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has urged her lawmakers to make health care their focus at the start of the year.
Defenders of the law have also launched a political coalition called
“Protect Our Care,” bringing together more than 20 groups, including the
NAACP and the Service Employees International Union.
One of their objectives is to try to prevent Republicans from repealing the Act without also enacting a replacement.
Currently, Republicans plan to quickly vote on repealing the law, and
delay the effective date to give them time to craft a replacement.
Another goal for Democrats is to pre-empt bigger health care changes to Medicare and Medicaid long sought by Republicans.
Since the Act passed, about 20 million people have gained coverage
and the uninsured rate has dropped to a historic low of around nine per
cent.
Some of the coverage gains are due to employers offering jobs with
health care in a stronger economy, but most experts mainly credit
Obama’s law.
A recent poll suggests that defenders of the law may get a receptive hearing from the public.
Only about one in four Americans want Trump and the Republican-led
Congress to completely repeal the Act, according to a post-election
survey by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
“Republicans do not fully appreciate the implications of even a
partial repeal of the Act,” Rob Restuccia, Executive Director of
Community Catalyst, one of the advocacy groups in the coalition trying
to preserve the law, said.
“People use the analogy of the dog that caught the car,” Restuccia added.
Obama’s speech in Chicago on Jan. 10 is expected to serve as his closing words to the nation as president.
His appearance will be open to the public and followed by a “family
reunion” for alumni of Obama’s former campaigns, according to a
save-the-date notice sent to Obama alumni and obtained by network.
The White House has not confirmed Obama’s speech or trip to Chicago.
Slider[Style1]
Style2
Style3[OneLeft]
Style3[OneRight]
Style4
[Style5]
entertainment
Style5
Tagged with: Politics
About Michael Idakwo
This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Model of the Week
Name: | Jessica Zanky Dogo |
---|---|
Age: | You never ask a woman her age |
Hometown | Kaduna, Nigeria |
Institution: | Ahmadu Bello University |
Course: | Mass Communication |
Mobile: | Later |
You can send your picture and details to: metrodailyng@gmail.com
- Popular Post
- Video
- Category
Popular Posts
-
Supe r Eagles Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr, has expressed concern over Ahmed Musa's lack of playing time at Leicester. Rohr, w...
-
By Okanga Agila Even when we are sufficiently convinced that someone were playing to the gallery there is a danger in not immediately c...
-
Central Bank of Nigeria has sacked top executives of Skye Bank over failure to meet capital adequacy ratio.
-
A man in Kano has been accused of shooting his maid for leaving his baby unattended. According to Facebook user IG Wala , the man, ide...
-
Former Osun State Governor and a member of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, ha...
No comments: