Republicans Set to Repeal Obamacare But Can't Agree on What Comes Next

WASHINGTON — Empowered by Donald Trump’s victory, Republicans have vowed to make good on promises to repeal Obamacare as soon as the new Congress convenes in January.There’s just one problem for GOP leaders — agreeing on what happens next.Republicans have yet to reach consensus on what will replace Obamacare, and how quickly a new plan should take hold. Some say they shouldn’t repeal the Affordable Care Act without a new health care law ready to go. Others — eager for a speedy political win — want to repeal the law but include a transition period to prevent as many as 20 million Americans from losing their insurance.Even that idea that has sparked a mini-battle over whether Obamacare should expire in six months or a few years while the GOP develops an alternative — and secures the votes to pass new legislation. What’s more, Republicans are still debating a host of replacement plans. They’ve gotten vague directives from Trump, who has both called for a full repeal and said he wants to keep popular elements of Obamacare, such as protecting people with pre-existing conditions and allowing the young to remain on their parents’ insurance until age 26.The Texas Republican delegation to Congress, typically aligned, has its own disagreements over the best path forward.Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, is among those who want to gut Obamacare now but give Republicans three years to pass a replacement.“It’s taken us six years to create the mess known as Obamacare, and it’s going to take us a little while to untangle it,” he recently told Lubbock radio host Chad Hasty. “We want to make sure that nobody gets hurt or loses coverage in the process.”Many Texas Republicans in congressional leadership, such as Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, are backing health care policy principles outlined in Speaker Paul Ryan’s “Better Way” agenda, though that plan hasn’t been made into legislation.Then there’s Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions, who is hoping that his own proposal will get a second look. Last May, Sessions and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., unveiled legislation, humbly named “The World’s Greatest Healthcare Plan,” as a fix to — not a replacement of — Obamacare.  Continue reading...