Arrington urges Senate to repeal, replace Obamacare

July 20--U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington helped write a public column urging the U.S. Senate to repeal and replace Obamacare.

The column, which appeared on Fox News, says the House did its work -- with the lower chamber passing a healthcare bill this spring -- and now it's times for the Senate to follow suit.

"It is time for real solutions," the column reads. "The American people can no longer suffer under the collapse of Obamacare -- which is inevitable if the GOP fails to act. That's why the House passed the American Health Care Act, and why the Senate must act."

Arrington was the only Congressman from Texas named in the byline.

Arrington has been a vocal supporter for the repeal of Obamacare since taking office in January. He was one of the few Congressmen to express dissatisfaction when the American Health Care Act was pulled the first time it was supposed to be brought to a vote. Following its passage in the House, he made the argument that competition and choice is the best path for health care.

In the column, the Lubbock Republican said premiums have increased 105 percent, 3 million people now just have access to one insurer and some people are not able to get insurance because deductibles can range from $3,000 to $10,000.

"Simply putting a Band-Aid on the problem will not fix the gaping wound ObamaCare has created," it reads. "Handing billions of dollars to insurance companies to deal with skyrocketing premiums will not fix the problem, rather it will just temporarily alleviate the losses insurance carriers have taken under ObamaCare. Insurers will continue to leave the exchange, and the American people will continue to have fewer options."

According to the Associated Press, the budget report on the first version of the legislation projected it would result in 22 million fewer Americans with insurance by 2026 compared with those under current law. It predicted that measure would reduce the budget deficit by $321 billion over the same period. On average, premiums would first rise, then fall under the measure, the Congressional Budget Office projected.

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