Sen. Jeff Flake on Tuesday led a coalition of Republicans in filing a bill to delay by one year any provisions of Obamacare that are set to take effect Jan. 1 or later.
Mr. Flake, Arizona Republican, said the legislation is only fair considering other delays to aspects of the law.
The White House on July 2 decided to put off by one year, to 2015, the employer mandate requiring firms with 50 or more full-time employees to provide adequate health coverage or pay fines.
“Given that Obamacare provides various waivers and exemptions, and that the president himself concedes the bill is not ready to be implemented, it’s clear to me that a total delay of Obamacare is the fairest and most realistic plan to prevent the law from wreaking havoc on all Americans,” Mr. Flake said.
House Republicans voted to codify that delay and match it will a one-year delay to the individual mandate that requires most Americans to acquire some form of health insurance.
Efforts to delay or repeal the Affordable Care Act have died in the Democrat-controlled Senate, which alongside the Obama administration considers significant delays to the law to be a nonstarter.
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Republicans are scrambling to take down Mr. Obama’s overhaul weeks before state health exchanges are launched, implementing the law in earnest.
Mr. Flake’s bill is cosponsored by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and fellow Republican Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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