Senate Republicans to include individual mandate repeal in tax plan

Mitch McConnell. — (Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they will be including a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate in their tax plan. "Repealing the mandate pays for more tax cuts for working families," wrote Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) in a statement.

President Trump has put pressure on Republicans to repeal the "very unfair" individual mandate, which is the portion of ObamaCare that requires individuals to purchase health care or face a fine. Its elimination would free up more than $300 billion over a decade, The New York Times reports, "because ... a decline in the number of people with health coverage" means "the government would spend less money on subsidized health plans."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.