Pence: ‘Obamacare Was Just a Down Payment to Hillary Clinton’

ASHLAND, Ohio — Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence reminded an Ohio crowd of around 700 gathered at Ashland University that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has long pushed for a centralized healthcare program in America.

Pence reminded the Ohio crowd of when Clinton said that before there was Obamacare there was Hillarycare.

Clinton has spoken of Hillarycare many times in her pursuit of the presidency. At an Elko, Nevada rally in February she said, “You know, before it was called Obamacare it was called Hillarycare,” according to NPR.

“Obamacare was just a down payment to Hillary Clinton,” Pence told the enthusiastic crowd.

He went after Clinton for wanting to increase the size and scope of government with regulations and raising taxes and said Clinton wouldn’t just bring the same plan for government, but more of the same.

He brought up the Wikileaks release of Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s emails and a paid speech by Clinton included there. Speech excerpts reveal Clinton telling a Canadian company that she supports a Canadian-style universal healthcare system.

A New York Times article noted in January that in the hard-fought primary election Clinton criticized opponent Sen. Bernie Sanders for having advocated for a “single-payer “Medicare for all” health care system” and called it “budget busting and unrealistic.” But still early in the primaries, Clinton shifted and touted that before Obamacare was Obamacare, it was Hillarycare. “We share the same goal, universal health care for every single American,” she said comparing her plan and Sanders’ plan, but qualified it by saying that they had a difference on “how to get there.”

Her 1993 healthcare plan, formulated during her time as first lady to husband and then-President Bill Clinton, ultimately failed.

Pence told the cheering crowd that Trump would repeal and replace Obamacare and bring back American jobs. He spoke of continued premium increases in Obamacare. “I can’t afford it now,” rang out a voice from the crowd.

Pence reminded the crowd of when Democratic Party Rep. Nancy Pelosi oversaw the passage of Obamacare during her final days as Speaker of the House. He recalled her words to America when she said, “You’ve got to pass it to find out what’s in it.”

Hillary Clinton’s own husband, the former President, even recently called Obamacare and premium increases the “craziest thing.” Pence recalled for the crowd Obama’s recent comparison of Obamacare to the failed cell phone, the Samsung Note 7 that kept going up in flames. Obama tried to joke that companies try to fix bugs in cell phones, unless they catch fire, and then they take them off the market. Pence has used the comparison in recent days to say that is exactly what he and Donald Trump are going to do, “We’re gonna pull it off the market…”

Pence said they were going to replace it with healthcare reform that respects the doctor-patient relationship and expands consumer choice and health savings…focus on lowering the cost of health insurance, not growing the size of government. We’re going to meet our healthcare needs with the power of the free market, not the government.”

News broke this week out of the Obama administration that Obamacare rates will soar and choices will diminish. Forbes reported on Tuesday that Obamacare rates are set to increase by an average of 25 percent next year. Not only that, but about 20 percent of Americans will only have one plan available for insurance coverage. Forbes called the 2017 renewal season “worrisome.” The article stated that should a potential President Clinton create the public option, she plans to expand Medicare and Medicaid, and under a stronger mandate the public option could become the “only option.” The article further lays out the likelihood of an Obamacare “death spiral.”

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana