Rep. Messer Votes to Begin Obamacare Repeal and Replace

WASHINGTON (Friday, Jan. 13, 2017) — Today Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) voted to begin the process of repealing and replacing Obamacare.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed S. Con. Res. 3 today, which clears the way for Congress to fast-track the repeal of Obamacare and the replacement of it with patient-centered reform legislation. The resolution also passed the Senate.

“The American people are expecting us to repeal and replace Obamacare, and we’re going to keep our promises,” Messer said. “Obamacare was a $1 trillion tax on the American people, and though it helped some, it left a majority of Americans worse off.  We can do better, and we will.”

In Indiana, recent Department of Insurance figures show premium rates spiking nearly 20 percent this year, compared to 2016. Since Obamacare was implemented, premiums in the Indiana individual market have gone up by almost 70 percent.

This year, Indiana only has four insurers on the marketplace, dropping from eight in 2016. More than 68,000 Hoosiers lost their health plans when these carriers left the marketplace. Wayne County, in Indiana’s 6th district, only has access to one of these insurers.

“Obamacare wreaked havoc on our health care system and it’s been a job killer, too,” Messer said. “Repealing and replacing Obamacare is priority number one, and we’re going to get this done for Americans.”

Messer said efforts to repeal Obamacare will be paired with simultaneous efforts to replace it with a 21st-century health-care system that’s personalized, patient-centered, and puts people back in charge of their care.

More information about the House Republicans’ plan to replace Obamacare can be found here.

A video of Rep. Messer speaking on the House Floor about Obamacare’s failures and why it must be repealed and replaced is available here.