Democrats accuse Mike Johnson of seeking to repeal Obamacare – Washington Examiner
In a recent political showdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has faced accusations from Democrats regarding his intentions to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. As the 2024 election nears, Johnson stirred controversy by stating that the GOP plans for “massive reform” of Obamacare if Donald Trump wins a second term. Democratic leaders swiftly criticized Johnson’s comments as an indication that Trump and the GOP intend to dismantle a key healthcare policy, questioning if this is part of Trump’s hidden agenda.
Johnson defended himself by claiming that his remarks were taken out of context and that he did not promise to eradicate the ACA, acknowledging its entrenched role in the healthcare system. He emphasized the need for reforms to enhance healthcare quality and affordability. In response, Kamala Harris’s campaign highlighted Johnson’s statements, framing them as a direct threat to the healthcare coverage of millions of Americans.
Mixed reactions have emerged from within the Republican Party, as some members express concerns that attacking the ACA could harm their efforts in the upcoming elections, especially in swing districts. The history of failed attempts to repeal Obamacare has made many Republicans hesitant, fearing backlash from voters reliant on its provisions.
As discussions unfold, the focus remains on whether the GOP will prioritize healthcare reform in their legislative agenda if they regain control after the elections, and how such plans might impact the reelection prospects of vulnerable Republican incumbents. The political landscape suggests that handling the sensitive topic of healthcare could prove critical for both parties as the elections approach.
Democrats accuse Mike Johnson of seeking to repeal Obamacare
Democrats have accused House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) of seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” as part of former President Donald Trump’s legacy should he win a second term.
With just six days before the 2024 election, Johnson caused stirs in both Democratic and Republican circles when he pledged Monday that the GOP would seek “massive reform” of Obamacare should Trump retake the White House and Republicans keep their House majority.
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“No Obamacare,” Johnson said when asked about whether the Affordable Care Act would survive the GOP’s “blowtorch.” However, the speaker acknowledged that the “ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work, and we got a lot of ideas on how to do that.”
Democrats, seeking to turn the page on President Joe Biden’s “garbage” remark as quickly as possible, immediately highlighted the speaker’s remarks and accused Johnson of wanting to fully repeal Obamacare, questioning whether attacking the major healthcare policy was Trump’s “secret” with Johnson.
“Mike Johnson says one of Trump’s top priorities will be to repeal the Affordable Care Act and rip away health care from tens of millions of Americans: ‘No Obamacare,’” the campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on X. “Is this Trump’s “secret” with Mike Johnson?”
Johnson insisted that the Harris campaign was taking his comments out of context, noting that nothing was mentioned about a repeal.
“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 Washington Examiner.
“Still, House Republicans will always seek to reduce the costs and improve the quality and availability of health care for all Americans,” Johnson added. “Anyone who has been a patient or known a loved one who has struggled with health issues understands why this is so important.”
Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign national press secretary, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that “Repealing Obamacare is not President Trump’s policy position. As President Trump has said, he will make our healthcare system better by increasing transparency, promoting choice and competition, and expanding access to new affordable healthcare and insurance options.”
She added, “Kamala Harris broke our healthcare system. President Trump will fix it.”
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The Harris campaign’s “secret” accusations referred to comments made by the former president during his Madison Square Garden rally over the weekend, causing Democrats to worry about GOP politicians possibly planning to throw the election for Trump. Johnson has downplayed those rumors, however, and said the “secret” is simply a get-out-the-vote campaign.
Some Democrats have argued that Johnson’s “massive reform” comments should be at the top of the news cycle instead of Biden’s comment appearing to call Trump supporters “garbage.” The president’s blunder, which the White House tried to walk back with a transcript of Biden’s remarks and highlighted punctuation, splashed across outlets and drew severe criticism from conservatives.
“Despite the thirsty click-bait headlines from Politico and others, the Speaker of the House saying he and Trump will repeal the Affordable Care Act is 1000x more politically consequential than whatever Biden said,” said Dan Pfeiffer, a former Obama adviser and co-host of Pod Save America.
Johnson’s remarks have received mixed reactions from Republicans, particularly those from states such as New York whose swing districts voted for Biden in 2020. The Affordable Care Act, which provides healthcare to tens of millions of people, has been a frequent target of GOP repeal efforts — but reminding independent and undecided voters of a possible loss of healthcare protection could backfire on vulnerable Republicans hoping to maintain their seats in Congress.
Republicans have been somewhat skittish about taking on Obamacare again, not since former Sen. John McCain famously voted no in a “skinny repeal” of the act in 2017, dealing a blow to a Trump campaign promise. McCain’s thumbs down on the Senate floor was one of the defining moments of the first Trump term.
Republicans also suffered a backlash in 2018 for trying to undo popular ACA provisions, such as protections for people with preexisting conditions. The 2022 midterm elections marked the first cycle in over a decade that was not centered on candidates wanting to protect or undo Obama’s signature legislative achievement.
This time around, some Republicans are already getting ahead of the possible fallout.
“Congressman Lawler has been crystal clear on this – he will not support eliminating coverage for those with pre-existing conditions and will oppose any reforms that do so,” Nate Soule, spokesman for Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), told the Washington Examiner. “End of story.”
Other conservatives argue that reforms to healthcare policy are good goals but should not be the priority. Trump himself said during his debate with Harris that he had “concepts of a plan” for replacing Obamacare in his second term but did not provide specifics.
“I think it is a good policy goal, but pretty late in the campaign to introduce new items,” GOP strategist John Feehery told the Washington Examiner. “The top priority for Republicans should be extending the expiring tax provisions.
“I hope they don’t try to tackle healthcare first, like they did in 2017,” Feehery added.
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Whether reforming Obamacare would be a top priority for Johnson and House Republicans next Congress remains to be seen. If the GOP takes control of Congress and the White House, some legislation likely will come forward to overhaul Obamacare with significant changes.
For seats such as Lawler’s and those of Reps. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY) rated as toss-ups or competitive 2024 races, signs from leadership to repeal a top healthcare protection used across the United States and in the Empire State may risk their reelections and a GOP majority.
“I actually cannot believe Speaker Johnson was dumb enough to say that right before going on a tour of swing districts in New York,” a New York Democratic operative told the Washington Examiner. “Every Republican running in tough turf will now be spending one of their final days stumping with an extremist who wants to rip healthcare away from millions of New Yorkers. You can and should expect Democrats to hit back, and hit back hard.”
However, Feehery said he thinks Johnson’s comments may not be as impactful as Democrats are hoping for. He said the election was “cooked” and that it’s “too late” for this to negatively sway key Republican seats.
“People know how they are going to vote, and a huge number of them already have,” Feehery said. “I just think it’s too late to introduce a new policy subject into this race.”
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The strategist added that both parties have other agenda items to campaign on.
“Why would Democrats start talking about ACA when they have abortion?” Feehery said. “And why would the GOP talk about Obamacare when they have inflation, crime, and immigration?”
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