GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said President Donald Trump’s decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey won’t distract lawmakers from accomplishing their legislative agenda.
While the focus in Congress recently shifted to the Russian investigation in the wake of Trump’s decision to fire Comey last Tuesday, Lee said repealing the Affordable Care Act is too important to put on the back burner in an interview with Fox News Sunday.
“Sure anytime you have something else come along while you’re debating legislation, while you are trying to iron out something, it could take some of the momentum away,” he told host Chris Wallace. “In this instance, I don’t think that’s going to make a difference because there is so much momentum behind the Obamacare repeal effort. We’re going to get it done one way or another.”
The House recently passed its Obamacare repeal legislation after months of negotiations and one botched attempt. The legislation is expected to be largely re-written in the upper chamber.
“What we are trying to do as Republicans is to try to bring about real health care reform, reform of the sort that will reintroduce federalism and free-market forces in a way that will bring down the cost of health care to America’s middle class, who have suffered badly ever since Obamacare took effect,” Lee continued.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently put together a 13-person health care working group tasked with crafting the revised bill.
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said he expects a vote to happen before August recess.
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