WASHINGTON — Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise believes the GOP is coalescing around a strategy of delaying Obamacare.
“I think [winning a] delay is better than 50 percent right now and that is where our focus is,” Scalise told The Daily Caller Tuesday.
The Louisiana congressman, who is introducing an alternative to the president’s signature health-care law Wednesday, said he and his allies hope to extend the existing Obamacare delays to more Americans than just the “political class.”
“You know, whether it is the [continuing resolution] or the debt ceiling, I mean it is all going to happen within the next few weeks,” Scalise said in a visit to TheDC’s office. “But the president said he wants to delay the law for big employers, he wants to do it for insurance companies, you know he’s laid out delays that he’s targeted to them, but we want to extend that delay to everybody, not just the political class, so we’re pushing for that.”
According to the RSC chairman, Obamacare will become more unpopular as people find out more about it and the law’s problems.
“I think more time goes by, you’re seeing more problems. I mean, who knows what an exchange would even look like if it is ready on Oct. 1, which I doubt seriously the federal exchange will be ready,” Scalise said. “But even when you see it, a lot of people are going to see very large increases in the cost of health care for themselves if they go into any exchange. So the more the date gets closer to Jan. 1, the more people don’t like the things they’re seeing.”
“People are seeing more and more just how devastating it will be. The Nancy Pelosi promise, ‘You have to pass it to find out what’s in it,’ every day that goes by people find out more devastating components of the law,” he added. (RELATED: House will vote on continuing resolution that defunds Obamacare)
Scalise noted that more members are moving toward delay as a tactic to deal with Obamacare, saying that delay still provides a strong chance for repeal.
“We’re arguing over what the best tactic is right now,” he said. “I think you’re seeing more of us in the House gravitating toward a one-year delay as the most — right now, the most — likely way to get relief from Obamacare and to keep this fight going.”