On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” House Speaker Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) stated he was “pretty encouraged” by the CBO report on the American Health Care Act, although “I think they sort of overestimate the uninsured number, just like they overestimated who would be insured by Obamacare, but I do believe that if we’re not going to force people to buy something they don’t want to buy, they won’t buy it, and that’s kind of obvious.”
Ryan said, “Well, actually, I think, if you read this entire report, I’m pretty encouraged by it. And it actually exceeded my expectations. Bret, Tom Price and Mick Mulvaney there mentioned the estimates before we’re that more, — 25 million people would be on Obamacare today. Less than half that are. But, look at what they said the reason why they think this uninsured would happen. We’re saying the government’s not going to force people to buy something that they don’t want to buy, and if we end an Obamacare mandate that says you must buy this government, one-size-fits-all, plan, guess what? People aren’t going to buy that. So, of course, they’re going to suggest that if we’re not going to make something people — make people do something they don’t want to do, they’re not going to do it. That’s really what’s behind this.”
He continued, “What I’m encouraged is, once our reforms kick in, what the CBO is telling us is, it’s going to lower premiums. It will lower premiums 10%. It stabilizes the market. It’s a $1.2 trillion spending cut, an $883 billion tax cut, and $337 billion in deficit reduction. So, of course, the CBO is going to say, if you’re not going to force people to buy something they don’t want to buy, they won’t buy it. But, at the same time, they’re saying, our reforms will kick in, and lower premiums, and make healthcare, therefore more accessible.” Ryan also reiterated that the current bill is part one of a three-part plan.
Ryan stated that “[W]e’re doing a transition period, because we don’t want to pull the rug out from under anybody. We want to make sure that people can still have coverage and there’s a seamless transition, from a collapsing system, to a better system.”
He added, “I think they sort of overestimate the uninsured number, just like they overestimated who would be insured by Obamacare, but I do believe that if we’re not going to force people to buy something they don’t want to buy, they won’t buy it, and that’s kind of obvious.”
Ryan was asked about President Trump’s reference to the bill as a “beautiful negotiation.” He stated that the bill is a three-pronged approach that “fine-tuning touches” are being made to. He continued, “[We’re] working on getting that consensus among our members in the House and the Senate to make sure that we make this the best possible legislation. Now that we have this encouraging score from the CBO, this gives us even more room to work on, to make good, fine-tuning, finishing touches on this bill, as it moves through the four-committee process. … So, this is a good work in progress.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.