Conservatives Press for Obamacare Repeal Despite GOP Leadership’s ‘Disinterest’

Conservatives continue to press for a new Obamacare repeal bill, even as the Republican leadership expresses “disinterest” in repealing Obamacare before the 2018 midterm election.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview that he, along with other conservatives, continues to work on a new block grant Obamacare repeal proposal.

“We have obligation to fix what’s broken,” Santorum told Breitbart News.

The Heritage Foundation, the Galen Institute, and Santorum have been meeting at the Heritage’s offices approximately once a week for months.

Marie Fishpaw, Heritage’s director of domestic policy studies, argued that they will continue to push to repeal Obamacare despite the political headwinds.

“This is outside-in and bottom-up,” Fishpaw told The Hill. Fishpaw said that the group of conservatives will continue to repeal Obamacare “even in the face of continued leadership disinterest.”

Fishpaw argued that “disinterest” was a nice word for leadership’s attitude towards their new Obamacare repeal bill.

White House officials have also attended the meetings, and the Donald Trump administration has signaled its support for the Obamacare repeal efforts.

Hogan Gidley, the White House deputy press secretary, said in a statement, “The White House fully supports the efforts of a broad coalition working to address the Obamacare disaster and increase affordable healthcare options for middle class Americans.”

Santorum revealed that he spoke to over “100 different groups that are free-market oriented, conservative-oriented groups” and his group has reached out to Republicans across the entire spectrum of the Republican party. Santorum added they have spoken with “even a couple of Democrats” regarding their new health care proposal.

The former suggested that the Obamacare repeal plan will simultaneously “lower premiums” while increasing the number of insured.

Santorum concluded in his interview with Breitbart News, “We think that there is a lack of leadership in the House and the Senate to come back on this, and now the public is saying that we want to do this.”