Former Republican House Speaker John Boehner doesn’t think the GOP can fully repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the law better known as Obamacare.
Boehner said at a healthcare conference in Orlando on Thursday that the Republican plan to overhaul President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law was “not going to happen.” He said the idea of an imminent repeal and replace was “happy talk,” according to a report from Politico’s Darius Tahir.
Boehner retired from Congress in 2015 and his successor, current House Speaker Paul Ryan, announced last week that House Republicans are planning to introduce their Obamacare replacement bill will be introduced after the legislatures week-long President’s Day break.
Senate Republicans have, however, objected to parts of the House GOP plan, and Boehner said Thursday that those differences will make it hard for the party to come together on a new plan.
“I started laughing,” said Boehner, discounting the possibility of a fast replacement. “Republicans never ever agree on health care.”
Boehner repeatedly butted heads with Obama during his tenure as speaker, but he also drew criticism from conservative factions within his own party for being too willing to compromise.
According to the report, Boehner concluded his talk by saying that “most of the framework of the Affordable Care Act” is “going to be there” in the end.
The repeal of Obamacare has long been on the to-do list for Republicans, even during Boehner’s tenure. Disagreements on the replacement aspect and unclear communication, however, have led to a slowdown on the change.
Additionally, parts of the law have grown popular with the American public, with the law’s overall popularity ticking to record levels since the election of President Donald Trump. Even in their own districts, Republicans are catching an earful from voters against the ACA’s repeal.
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