Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Friday that congressional Republicans need to present a replacement to Obamacare immediately, arguing it isn’t enough to fight for repeal or try to scrap parts of President Obama’s overhaul.
Mr. Jindal, a Republican, said anti-Obamacare sentiment is why the GOP took control of Congress in the mid-term elections, but Americans will not trust the party unless it has ideas of its own.
“We need to show what we would do differently,” he told the National Review’s Ideas Summit in Washington.
The governor, who is term-limited and could run for president, noted he’s released a 16-point plan that gives the state flexibility to implement health programs and relies on market forces instead of insurance mandates.
Congressional Republicans have bandied about several plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but have not rallied around one or put it up for a vote.
Mr. Jindal said the GOP needs to vote on a plan “today, not tomorrow.”
But congressional Republicans are hoping a Supreme Court decision due in June blows a huge hole in the law by invaliding government subsidies on the federal exchange known as HealthCare.gov.
A ruling against the Obama administration would make the law much less attractive in at least 34 states, although Republicans are bracing for backlash from Mr. Obama, who will say the party is leaving people without health insurance.
“He will find a sympathetic case,” Mr. Jindal said.
The governor said that is one more reason the GOP needs to present their own plan. He also warned party allies in the states that rejected Obamacare not to change their approach so their residents may qualify for subsides.
“My counsel to governors would be absolutely do not to set up a state exchange, because not only do the subsidies go away, but the mandates for the most part go away,” Mr. Jindal said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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