Joe Biden dares Republicans on ObamaCare: 'Go ahead, repeal it'


As the 115th Congress gavels into session Tuesday, one of the Republican Party's first orders of business will be beginning the process of dismembering the Affordable Care Act, the overhaul of the U.S. health care system crafted by Democrats in 2009 and 2010, with no public GOP plan to replace it. President Obama and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will meet Wednesday with their respective parties on Capitol Hill to discuss ObamaCare strategy, but on Monday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warned Republicans that if they repeal ObamaCare, they should be prepared for the fallout on their own. "It's the old thing of going into a china shop," she said: "You break it, you own it."
On CNN, Vice President Joe Biden had a similar message for Republicans, delivered in a very Joe Biden way. "I love these guys," he told Jake Tapper. "'We ran against the Affordable Care Act, how terrible it is, how premiums went up, we're going to repeal it!' Go ahead, repeal it. Repeal it now. See what happens. The idea that all of a sudden they can go back and start charging women more than men, pre-existing conditions don't matter." Obama and the Democrats "knew we had to improve the Affordable Care Act, knew from the beginning — we were looking for a partner," Biden said, using Social Security as an example of a program that was expanded and improved with bipartisan consensus.
In the Senate, Republicans are expected to rely on a procedure called budget reconciliation that will allow them to gut large portions of ObamaCare with just 51 votes, meaning they can lose two Republicans and still push the measure through. GOP leaders in the Senate are in favor of a lost "offramp" that would give them two years to come up with a replacement plan, but on Monday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) warned against a "repeal and delay" plan or a "partial repeal" of the bill. "If Congress fails to vote on a replacement at the same time as repeal, the repealers risk assuming the blame for the continued unraveling of ObamaCare," he wrote at Rare. "Partial repeal of ObamaCare will likely win the day, but when the insurance companies come to Washington crying for a bailout don't say that no one warned of this preventable disaster."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How quarterly estimated tax payments work and when they are due
The Explainer Freelancers, small business owners and those with a side hustle may need to make more frequent tax payments
-
'Alligator Alcatraz will be a blight on the Everglades'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Kirsty Coventry: the former Olympian and first woman to lead the IOC
In the Spotlight Coventry, a former competitive swimmer, won two Olympic gold medals
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores